Tom Nichols: “The leaders of Russia, China, and North Korea are not good men. They preside over brutal autocracies replete with secret police and prison camps. But they are, nevertheless, serious men, and they know an unserious man when they see one.”

“For nearly a decade, they have taken Donald Trump’s measure, and they have clearly reached a conclusion: The president of the United States is not worthy of their respect.”

“The Trump administration is expected to issue an executive order as early as Friday establishing a designation for state sponsors of wrongful detention, in a move that would allow the U.S. to punish countries that illegally detain U.S. nationals or take them hostage,” CBS News reports.

“Those governments will help us find these people and blow them up. They might do it themselves, and we’ll help them do it.”

— Secretary of State Marco Rubio, quoted by the New York Times, on drug cartels.

President Trump is considering New York City Mayor Eric Adams for an ambassadorship to Saudi Arabia, Politico reports.

“President Donald Trump has grown increasingly pessimistic about the chance of brokering an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict anytime soon or seeing the leaders of the two warring countries meet in person,” NBC News reports.

New York Times: “The mission had the potential to provide the United States with a stream of valuable intelligence. But it meant putting American commandos on North Korean soil — a move that, if detected, not only could sink negotiations but also could lead to a hostage crisis or an escalating conflict with a nuclear-armed foe.”

“It was so risky that it required the president’s direct approval.”

“For the operation, the military chose SEAL Team 6’s Red Squadron — the same unit that killed Osama bin Laden. The SEALs rehearsed for months, aware that every move needed to be perfect. But when they reached what they thought was a deserted shore that night, wearing black wet suits and night-vision goggles, the mission swiftly unraveled.”

“A North Korean boat appeared out of the dark. Flashlights from the bow swept over the water. Fearing that they had been spotted, the SEALs opened fire. Within seconds, everyone on the North Korean boat was dead.”

“The SEALs retreated into the sea without planting the listening device.”

It really makes you wonder what’s going on during this Trump term that we don’t yet know about.