Mark Thompson - Author

Dr. Larissa Portnoff released a public video statement in which she accused Donald Trump of years of sexual exploitation. Her statement appeared on social media in late October and early November 2026. Portnoff, a practicing clinical psychologist from New York, stated her name on camera and made serious allegations. She claims that Trump began sexually abusing her when she was about eight years old. According to her, the abuse intensified between the ages of 10 and 12, temporarily stopped, and then resumed when she was 16 and 17 years old... P.S. I'm gradually leaving X and moving to Substack. Subscribe for free or become a paid subscriber to support my work. mykhailorohoza.substack.com

Retired Russian General Leonid Ivashov has delivered a devastating assessment of Vladimir Putin’s leadership, Russia’s war against Ukraine, and the deteriorating condition of the Russian state. Ivashov is no ordinary Kremlin critic. He is a retired general, professor, and geopolitical analyst with decades of experience in Russia’s military establishment. He publicly opposed the invasion of Ukraine before it began, warning that the consequences could be catastrophic for Russia itself. Now, nearly four years into the full-scale war, Ivashov argues that his worst predictions have come true. After watching Putin’s lengthy televised appearance, he described a president increasingly detached from the reality experienced by ordinary Russians. “I saw neither a leader, nor a commander, nor a defender of the people. I saw only a man living in a fairy tale, while the rest of the country is trying to survive on 16,000 rubles a month.” His assessment of the war was equally severe. According to Ivashov, Russia has failed to achieve meaningful military success while suffering strategic defeats that extend far beyond the battlefield. He described an economy under growing pressure, industries in decline, a collapsing education system, and scientific institutions struggling to survive. Healthcare, he warned, is deteriorating as regional governments reduce medical spending. Rising prices are steadily impoverishing ordinary Russians, while declining food quality adds another burden to households already struggling to make ends meet. But perhaps his darkest warning concerns Russia’s demographic future. Ivashov portrayed Russia as a country experiencing a profound population crisis, with the war accelerating the loss of working-age men and worsening an already dangerous demographic trajectory. He was equally dismissive of the Kremlin’s claims about Russia’s international partnerships. North Korea and Belarus, he argued, cannot provide the economic or strategic support Russia needs. And China, despite Moscow’s constant declarations of friendship, should not be mistaken for a genuine military or political ally. Having worked with Chinese officials for many years, Ivashov rejected the Kremlin’s portrayal of Beijing as a dependable strategic partner. His ultimate warning was stark: a strategic defeat in Ukraine could threaten not merely Putin’s political future but the territorial and institutional integrity of the Russian Federation itself. What makes these remarks particularly significant is their source. Ivashov is not a Western politician, a Ukrainian official, or an opposition activist speaking from exile. He comes from the Russian military establishment and opposed the invasion before the first Russian tanks crossed Ukraine’s borders. His conclusions are sweeping and controversial, and the specific quotations attributed to him require verification against the original interview. Nevertheless, his longstanding opposition to the invasion illustrates something the Kremlin has repeatedly tried to obscure: criticism of this war has also emerged from within Russia’s own military circles. The central question is no longer simply what Putin hopes to achieve in Ukraine. It is how much more Russia will sacrifice in pursuit of those ambitions.

🇺🇸🧐 Former Miss Switzerland Beatrice Keul has accused Donald Trump of raping her at New York's Plaza Hotel in November 1993. Her allegations are detailed in a new report released by Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee investigating Trump's connections to Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking network. The White House categorically denies the accusations. According to the report, Keul was 24 years old when she was invited to participate in a beauty competition organized by people associated with Trump. During a luncheon at the Plaza Hotel, which Trump owned at the time, he allegedly approached her and promised assistance obtaining a US visa and admission to New York University. Shortly afterward, Epstein reportedly made similar offers, including an invitation to Mar-a-Lago. Later that day, Keul says she was invited to Trump's hotel suite. Believing the meeting could help her career and education, she agreed. According to her testimony, Trump grabbed her from behind and violently raped her, tearing her dress and leaving her bleeding and bruised. She described the alleged assault as brutal. Keul claims Trump subsequently repeated his promises of assistance and pressured her to remain silent, telling her, “The show must go on.” She returned to Switzerland, declined another Trump-sponsored competition and reportedly rejected further offers from Trump months later. The congressional report alleges that Trump, Epstein and others used beauty competitions involving women and girls aged 16 to 22 as opportunities to approach potential victims. Investigators point to similarities between Keul's account and testimony describing how Epstein used promises of education, modeling careers and financial support to recruit vulnerable young women. Trump has not been criminally charged in connection with Keul's allegations. White House spokesperson Lauren Bis rejected the report, calling the accusations false and politically motivated. She insisted Trump had expelled Epstein from Mar-a-Lago and denied any Epstein-related wrongdoing by the president. The report also revisits allegations made by four other women who accused Trump of rape or sexual assault in accounts connected to the Epstein investigation. Their allegations concern incidents dating from the mid-1980s through the 1990s and had previously appeared in media interviews or FBI records. Trump's history of sexual misconduct allegations includes the case of writer E. Jean Carroll. In May 2023, a federal civil jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in a Manhattan department store during the 1990s and subsequently defaming her. The jury awarded approximately $5 million in damages. Trump denied wrongdoing and challenged the verdict. Another section examines Paolo Zampolli, a longtime Trump associate and former State Department official. According to FBI records cited by the committee, Zampolli arranged visas for young models, including one woman who later alleged that Epstein raped her. Zampolli also faces separate allegations of drugging and raping model Victoria Drake in 2023, which remain contested. The report further challenges Zampolli's claim that he introduced Melania Trump to Donald Trump in 1998. It cites accounts suggesting Epstein arranged their introduction, although these competing claims have not been conclusively established. On October 26, Representative Jamie Raskin called for an independent special counsel to investigate Epstein's alleged accomplices and possible concealment of evidence by the Justice Department. Released shortly before the November elections, the report has intensified scrutiny of Trump's past relationships and allegations of sexual misconduct. Its claims remain disputed and require independent examination. The central question is whether America's justice system can investigate allegations against its most powerful political figures without interference, favoritism or fear.