What is American policy toward the Europeans—and vice versa? A leak from President Donald Trump’s National Security Strategy states that the United States wants to “support parties, movements and intellectual and cultural figures who seek sovereignty and preservation/restoration of traditional European ways of life … while remaining pro-American,” according to DefenseOne. Trouble is, those parties aren’t pro-American.

The Alternative für Deutschland is one such party. It certainly wants to restore a more traditional Europe. Another plus, in President Trump’s eyes, is that its supporters are willing to fight: According to a recent poll, 61 percent said they would fight to defend Germany, compared to just 22 percent of Green Party supporters.

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The problem is that the AfD and other parties that “seek sovereignty” and “traditional European ways of life” don’t want to fight alongside America. The rise of the AfD shows that, as American Conservativestated, “Europe will not automatically be a reliable partner for American military adventures …. Europeans will not fight America’s wars in Asia or the Middle East, and increasingly they won’t even support proxy conflicts on their own doorstep if the costs become too high.”

The American Conservative headline, “The Rise of German Nationalism Exposes Washington’s Delusions,” is yet another that could have come straight from the Trumpet. President Trump is encouraging German militarization and a revival of German nationalism at the same time. The forecasts Herbert W. Armstrong made decades ago are being fulfilled rapidly. Trumpet executive editor Stephen Flurry and his Trumpet Daily staff have been focusing on this development all week: Watch or listen online here.

U.S. seizes tanker, threatens Venezuelan regime: Donald Trump dramatically escalated pressure on Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro on Wednesday when U.S. forces seized a large Venezuelan oil tanker bound for Communist Cuba. Oil accounts for about 90 percent of Venezuela’s export earnings and 25 percent of its entire gross domestic product. President Trump wants regime change in Venezuela and has reportedly offered to grant Maduro amnesty if he flees the country. Maduro has so far refused.

• The tanker seizure also targets Cuba, a close ally of Venezuela, which sells Venezuelan crude on the black market and sends spies into Venezuela to protect Maduro. President Trump has claimed that the oil tanker was the largest ever seized and warned that “other things” would be coming soon.

Earlier this month, Pope Leo xiv warned against any military incursion into Venezuela. He advised the Trump administration to pursue dialogue or apply economic pressure to force Maduro out of office. Whether or not President Trump is listening to the pope, this is exactly what he is doing now: negotiating with Maduro during a trade seizure.

• Since the Venezuelan Bishops Conference is one of the main centers of opposition to Maduro, the Catholic Church will likely play a large role in regime change.

In the short term, ousting Maduro from office would likely benefit both the U.S. and the Roman Catholic Church. Maduro’s Cartel of the Suns is a major source of drug trafficking into the U.S., which President Trump wants to cut off.

Yet Bible prophecy warns that a pro-Catholic Venezuela will actually be a threat to America.

• In Revelation 17 and 18, God labels the German-led, Vatican-influenced empire currently emerging in Europe as “Babylon the great.” In the corresponding Old Testament prophecies of Isaiah 23 and Ezekiel 27, this empire appears under the name of Tyre, the most powerful trading center of the ancient Mediterranean.

Based on these scriptures, the late Herbert W. Armstrong predicted for decades that the alliance between Europe and South America would grow extremely strong due to Europe’s need for resources, the Roman Catholic religion and the Spanish language. However, this will not be a union of equals: Latin American countries will become vassal states to a Catholic-dominated Holy Roman Empire.

To learn about the strategic and geographic importance of Cuba and Venezuela, read “Preparing to Storm America’s Castle.”

Pope to Europe: Return to your Christian roots: Europe’s leaders must protect “the religious legacy of this continent.” That is what Pope Leo told members of the European Conservatives and Reformists, the group that many European right-wing parties sit in when in European Parliament. He said:

[E]veryone is a beneficiary of the contribution that the members of the Christian communities have made and continue to make for the good of European society. We need only call to mind some of the important developments in Western civilization, especially the cultural treasures of its towering cathedrals, sublime art and music, and advances in science, not to mention the growth and spread of the universities. These developments create an intrinsic link between Christianity and European history, a history which should be cherished and celebrated.

In an earlier letter, he praised Emperor Constantine and the Council of Nicaea as a model of how to bring unity to Christians, glossing over the fact that this was accomplished by state-sanctioned persecution against all who disagreed with the Catholic Church.

He continued that trend in yesterday’s meeting, encouraging lawmakers to emulate “Saint” Thomas More.

• More was no saint: He burned those he disagreed with at the stake and was one of the most influential voices justifying the burning of Protestants in England. He was, however, sincere in his beliefs, choosing to be martyred himself rather than go along with King Henry viii’s break with Rome.

Once again, the pope’s message appears nice on the surface, but if you look just below that, you realize he is praising religious and political leaders who built “cultural treasures” and enforced religious dogma using the power of the state, along with stakes, rope, wood and torches.

This is the church the Bible says looks like a lamb and speaks like a dragon. Our feature story today looks at a French king renowned for creating “cultural treasures.” Yet his relationship with the Catholic Church—like many leaders before him and after—led to much bloodshed. Herbert W. Armstrong warned for years about the revival of this Catholic spirit in Europe. It is now happening in real time, even as Europe rearms.

IN OTHER NEWS

The genocide that’s no longer “trending”: Remember the Turkic-speaking Uyghur people of Xinjiang in northwestern China? The Chinese Communist Party has been imprisoning them in concentration camps by the millions and subjecting them to brutality and indoctrination. In 2021, the first Trump administration sounded the alarm, equating the massive and ongoing crackdown to genocide. A host of nations sanctioned goods that China produced using the Uyghurs’ forced labor, while human rights activists and media outlets frequently spotlighted their suffering and pushed for change. But today, the Chinese government’s genocide of the Uyghurs is seldom discussed. An analysis by gzero found that only 0.03 percent of current English-language news articles discuss the Uyghurs, down from 0.19 percent at the time of the genocide designation. Analysts say this is due to the second Trump administration deemphasizing human rights, China reshaping international perceptions, and the world’s “atrocity attention” shifting toward more familiar crises such as Ukraine and Gaza. But the fading attention doesn’t mean the suffering has faded. The Trumpet continues to warn that the horrors underway in Xinjiang today are only the start of a dark era the world is descending into.

German and Norwegian arms producers aim for space: On Wednesday, German drone manufacturer Helsing signed a cooperation agreement in Berlin with Norwegian defense contractor Kongsberg. According to Spiegel, its aim is to develop space-based military reconnaissance—and independence from the U.S. Helsing will contribute artificial intelligence software, and Kongsberg will provide satellite technology. The collaboration will also include German defense contractor Hensoldt and German aerospace start-up Isar Aerospace. The companies aim to establish a satellite constellation by 2029, and Helsing plans to offer its space services to the German Armed Forces. Germany’s quest for military independence in space portends grave danger.

Denmark lists U.S. as potential national security risk: A report released Wednesday by the Danish Defense Intelligence Service warns against “the United States’ growing interest in Greenland,” which the U.S. claims is vital for its national security. Greenland is an autonomous territory of the kingdom of Denmark, and U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly called for acquiring it. The U.S. “uses economic power, including threats of high tariffs, to enforce its will and no longer rules out the use of military force, even against allies,” the report states. The Bible says the growing tension in the alliance between the U.S. and Europe will ultimately lead to open conflict.

“Yes, Some Children May Have Died From COVID Shots”: That was a headline from the Atlantic December 8. “No public-health authorities deny that covid shots can have some ill effects,” the article reads. “Adverse reactions are possible with all medical interventions. The mrna-based vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna, in particular, are known to cause myocarditis—inflammation of the heart—on rare occasions, especially in teenage boys and young men.” This fact was buried, ridiculed and attacked at a time when the truth could have saved lives. Throughout the covid-19 outbreak and government lockdowns, the Trumpet was among the few voices to sound this alarm. Now, even mainstream publications are admitting that the cure could kill.

Judge blocks federal use of California National Guard: Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ruled that the federal government’s current deployment of the California National Guard is illegal. In June, President Trump invoked a provision in federal law allowing the federal government to control members of the National Guard without the governor’s approval in emergency circumstances. Breyer ruled the protests did not constitute an emergency because they did not impede federal authority. The ruling is stayed for possible appeal and further legal battles testing the authority of the president and the severity of divisions within the U.S. government.