Trump racks up another win getting dangerous illegal aliens deported
Venezuela will resume accepting deportation flights from the US after Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro suspended the flights earlier this month.
Jorge Rodríguez, the president of Venezuela’s Assembly and chief negotiator with the U.S. announced the change in policy on Saturday.
“We have agreed with the U.S. government to resume the repatriation of Venezuelan migrants with an initial flight tomorrow, Sunday,” Rodriguez said.
He added that the deal with the U.S. secured the “return of our compatriots to their nation with the safeguard of their Human Rights.”
VENEZUELAN OPPO LEADER JOINS CUBAN-BORN GOP LAWMAKER IN PRAISING TRUMP ON VENEZUELA STANCE
Rodriguez referenced the deportation of some Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador in his statement. President Donald Trump’s administration has sent some Venezuelan members of the Tren de Aragua gang to the country.
“Migrating is not a crime and we will not rest until we achieve the return of all those who require it and until we rescue our brothers kidnapped in El Salvador,” Rodríguez said in a statement.
RUBIO: MADURO A ‘HORRIBLE DICTATOR’
Maduro himself referred to the Venezuelans held in El Salvador as “kidnapped” on Saturday.
In recent weeks, some 350 people were deported to Venezuela, including some 180 who spent up to 16 days at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
THE ALIEN ENEMIES ACT IS SETTLED LAW, STEPHEN MILLER SAYS
The Trump administration said that the Venezuelans sent to Guantanamo are members of Tren de Aragua.
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Venezuela had long been a friendly oil-trading partner of the U.S. until Maduro’s leftist regime took root following the 1998 and 2000 elections under the rule of the late Hugo Chavez and foreign policy challenges arose.
Expert support makes Musk’s ‘Ponzi scheme’ swipe sting even more for Democrats
Democrats have pushed back after Elon Musk claimed that social security operates like a “Ponzi scheme” as he continues to argue for cuts to the federal bureaucracy, but one expert tells Fox News Digital that Musk is on track with his criticism of the agency.
“Musk’s statement about Social Security being the world’s biggest Ponzi scheme does have validity,” James Agresti, president of the nonprofit research institute Just Facts, told Fox News Digital in response to pushback from Elon Musk’s claim, which included a “false” rating from Politifact.
“A Ponzi scheme operates by taking money from new investors to pay current investors. That’s the definition given by the SEC, and contrary to popular belief, that’s exactly how Social Security operates.”
Agresti explained to Fox News Digital that Social Security, believed to be a target of Musk’s efforts at DOGE, “doesn’t take our money and save it for us, as many people believe, and then give it to us when we’re older” like many Americans might believe.
EXPERT REVEALS MASSIVE LEVELS OF WASTE DOGE CAN SLASH FROM ENTITLEMENTS, PET PROJECTS: ‘A LOT OF FAT’
“What it does is, it transfers money when we are young and working and paying into Social Security taxes,” Agresti said. “That money, the vast bulk of it, goes immediately out the door to people who are currently receiving benefits. Now there is a trust fund, but in 90 years of operation, that trust fund currently has enough money to fund two years of program operations.”
The trust fund only being able to last for two years is not a result of the fund being “looted,” Agresti explained, but rather it was put in place to “put surpluses in it” from money that Social Security collects in taxes that it doesn’t pay out immediately and pays interest on.
“The interest that’s been paid on that has been higher than the rate of inflation,” Agresti said. “So, the problem isn’t that the trust fund has been looted. The problem is that Social Security operates like a Ponzi scheme.”
DOGE’S PLANS TO OFFLOAD GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS SUPPORTED BY FORMER GSA OFFICIAL
One of the top Social Security criticisms from Republicans, including President Trump, has been a concern that individuals who are dead or listed with an age well over 100 years old are on the rolls and receiving benefits.
Agresti told Fox News Digital that there are legitimate reasons to be concerned about that issue.
“What’s unclear to me at this moment is whether or not the people who are on the books are actually receiving checks,” Agresti said.
“Back during the Obama administration, there was a stimulus, and the Obama administration sent out stimulus checks via Social Security numbers to 80,000 people who were dead, and about 70,000 of them, the Social Security Administration knew they were dead. So I don’t know if they’ve remedied that situation since then, but clearly the system is not keeping up with the pace of current data, and that provides an opportunity for fraud.”
Democrats have also made the case that Musk is attempting to strip away benefits that senior citizens have rightfully earned. Agresti told Fox News Digital that is not what is happening.
“There’s been a lot of misinformation about that as of late,” Agresti said. “You know, when DOGE came in and suggested that the Social Security Administration cut, I think it was about 10,000 workers, Democrats erupted that this is going to weaken Social Security. But the fact of the matter is that Social Security pays those workers who are for administrative overhead from the Social Security trust fund. So, by cutting out the money that they’re paying them, you actually strengthen the program financially.”
Agresti told Fox News Digital that the current administrative overhead for Social Security is $6.7 billion per year, which is enough to pay more than 300,000 retirees the average old age benefit.
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Questions have emerged from critics in recent years as to whether Social Security, in its current form, is even capable of remaining solvent to pay benefits to Americans who have paid in over the past few decades.
Agresti told Fox News Digital that the program will “become insolvent” as soon as 2035 if changes are not made.
“To give you a feel of how disconnected Social Security is from a fully funded pension plan, if to keep the program solvent and put it on the same firm financial footing as a real pension plan, it would require an extra $272,000 in additional payroll taxes from every person paying payroll taxes right now,” Agresti told Fox News Digital.
“I’ll give you another way in which more numbers prove this point. If you retired in 1980, it took about three years of receiving Social Security benefits to get back the value of your payroll taxes plus interest. If you retired in 2000, it took 17 years. If you retired in 2020. it will take 22 years, assuming the program has enough money to pay those benefits, which it won’t without another increase in taxes on another generation of Americans.”
Dem power player issues warning to teammates who are jumping ship
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has refused to step down from his leadership position, as Democratic infighting worsens while the party struggles to agree on messaging to challenge President Donald Trump.
“Look, I’m not stepping down,” Schumer said in a pre-recorded interview that aired on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “I knew that when I cast my vote against the government shutdown that there would be a lot of controversy.”
Schumer defended why he chose to vote in support of the Republican-proposed continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown despite the bill’s broad opposition by the Democratic Party.
“The CR was certainly bad, you know the continuing resolution, but a shutdown would be 15 or 20 times worse. Under a shutdown, the executive branch has sole power to determine what is ‘essential.’ And they can determine without any court supervision. The courts have ruled it’s solely up to the executive what to shut down,” Schumer said.
DEM SENATOR ON SCHUMER FUTURE: ‘IMPORTANT’ TO KNOW ‘WHEN IT’S TIME TO GO’
Schumer alleged, without evidence, that Trump, Department of Government Efficiency chair Elon Musk and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought would slash funding for SNAP, or food stamps and mass transit, as well as cut Medicaid “by 20, 30, 50, 80%” He suggested the administration could decide during a government shutdown, “We’ll go after Social Security. We’ll go after the veterans.”
“They would eviscerate the federal government,” Schumer said. “Their goal is just eviscerate the federal government so they can get more taxes in their tax cuts to their billionaire class over there. So it would be devastating.”
“There’s no off ramp,” he added. “Who determines how long the shutdown would last? Only those evil people at the top of the executive branch in the Trump administration.”
Schumer told NBC that a Republican senator close to the DOGE team told a Democratic colleague of his that the administration would keep the shutdown in place for “six months, nine months, a year til everyone was furloughed and gone and quit.”
“And there would be no way to stop it,” Schumer said. “So I thought that would be so devastating to the republic and anger so many people.”
Schumer, who played a critical role in urging Joe Biden to exit the 2024 race, denied that he was acting similarly in resisting calls from his party to resign as leader. Democrats have increasingly criticized Schumer for breaking with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., in supporting the continuing resolution, and Schumer has dismissed reports of a potential primary challenge by progressive “Squad” member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., for his Senate seat.
AOC SHREDS SCHUMER FOR ‘TREMENDOUS MISTAKE’ OF CAVING TO GOP TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
“It was a vote of principle. Sometimes, when you’re a leader, you have to do things to avoid a real danger that might come down the curve, and I did it out of pure conviction as to what a leader should do and what the right thing for America and my party was,” Schumer said, admitting that there’s “disagreement” in the Democratic caucus on the spending bill, but “We’ve all agree to respect each other because each side saw why the other side felt so strongly about it.”
“And our caucus is united in fighting Donald Trump every step of the way,” Schumer claimed. “Our goal, our plan, which we’re united on, is to make Donald Trump the quickest lame duck in modern history by showing how bad his policies are.”
“He represents the oligarchs, as I’ve said, he’s hurting average people in every way,” Schumer added, saying Democrats are using oversight hearings, the courts and organizing across districts to challenge Trump’s agenda.
“I believe that by 2026, the Republicans in the House and Senate will feel like they’re rats on a sinking ship because we have so gone after Trump and all the horrible things he’s doing,” Schumer said.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, the former House Speaker, has claimed Democrats did not gain anything in Schumer conceding to Republicans’ over the CR.
“What we got, at the end of the day,” Schumer responded, “is avoiding the horror of a shutdown.”
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He added that Democrats had “no leverage point,” because Republicans in control of both houses could force a vote on the CR. “When you’re on that political mountain, the higher up you climb, the more fiercely the winds blow,” Schumer said. “The only way you stop being blown off the mountain is your internal gyroscope… I had to do the right thing for our country and for our party.”
Hegseth turns woke judge’s words into a power move after trans ruling
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday said the judge who ruled that the Pentagon must allow transgender troops should report to military bases since she is “now a top military planner.”
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C., issued a preliminary injunction last week blocking the Pentagon from enforcing President Donald Trump’s executive order banning transgender people from serving in the military.
Trump’s Jan. 27 order said “expressing a false ‘gender identity’ divergent from an individual’s sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service” and instructed the Department of Defense to update its medical standards for military service and pronoun policies.
TRUMP ADMIN ASKS FEDERAL JUDGE TO DISSOLVE INJUNCTION BARRING TRANSGENDER MILITARY BAN
The president’s order said that “beyond the hormonal and surgical medical interventions involved, adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life.”
In her ruling, the judge said Trump’s order contains language that is “unabashedly demeaning,” adding that the policy “stigmatizes transgender persons as inherently unfit.”
Hegseth responded to the ruling on the social media platform X.
PENTAGON TO APPEAL JUDGE’S DECISION BLOCKING TRANSGENDER BAN, HEGSETH SAYS
“Since ‘Judge’ Reyes is now a top military planner, she/they can report to Fort Benning at 0600 to instruct our Army Rangers on how to execute High Value Target Raids…after that, Commander Reyes can dispatch to Fort Bragg to train our Green Berets on counterinsurgency warfare,” he wrote.
The judge delayed her order until Friday morning to allow time for the Trump administration to appeal, which it said it would do.
Reyes said in her decision that the executive order likely poses constitutional rights violations.
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“The court knows that this opinion will lead to heated public debate and appeals. In a healthy democracy, both are positive outcomes,” Reyes wrote. “We should all agree, however, that every person who has answered the call to serve deserves our gratitude and respect.”
“Indeed, the cruel irony is that thousands of transgender servicemembers have sacrificed – some risking their lives – to ensure for others the very equal protection rights the Military Ban seeks to deny them,” the judge added, noting that the defendants, on the other hand, “have not shown they will be burdened by continuing the status quo pending this litigation, and avoiding constitutional violations is always in the public interest.”
They are like a classic comedy team crafted in a1950s Hollywood studio. There’s the old and grump straight man, Sen. Bernie Sanders set in his Marxist ways, and there’s the young, bubbly comedian Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, always smiling or dancing or making cute TikTok videos.
Last week, Sanders & AOC launched a national tour to perform for tens of thousands. The Democrats’ dynamic duo even played Vegas, where they insisted attendees don COVID masks (no, seriously). The question is, why are they on the road?
BERNIE SANDERS, AOC TAKE AIM AT TRUMP AND MUSK, AS WELL AS DEMOCRATS
The 2026 midterm elections are more than 19 months away, so why would two Democrats whose seats are safe as houses spend millions of dollars and untold man hours on this traveling circus today?
The answer is that Sanders & AOC are confronting an emergency, just not the one they say they are. They want you to think the emergency is President Donald Trump’s second term, but the real emergency is that America is firmly rejecting their brand of far-left progressivism.
Make no mistake, old man Sanders and his spunky sidekick aren’t really fighting against Trump, they are fighting to maintain ideological control of a Democratic Party that right now might be the least popular major party in American history.
In the aftermath of Kamala Harris’ embarrassing defeat in November, all fingers were pointed at wokeness to explain the Democrats’ woes. From men in women’s sports and open borders, to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and ending private health insurance, the far left has been rejected at every turn.
So here come Sanders & AOC in their hilariously named “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, this from two people who never saw a big bundled donation from George Soros that they wouldn’t greedily accept.
And yes, they perform some tired old material about Trump supposedly tearing down Democratic norms, or Elon Musk swimming in a pool of stolen social security money like Scrooge McDuck. But the real story is in the new material.
Take this from AOC, for example, “This isn’t just about Republicans,” she opined in Arizona. “We need a Democratic Party that fights harder for us. That means each and every one of us choosing and voting for Democrats and elected officials who know how to stand for the working class. I want you to look at every level of office around and support Democrats who fight, because those are the ones who can actually win against Republicans.”
Not lately, congresswoman.
On Sunday, the Democratic Socialists of America, who launched Ocasio-Cortez’s career, were protesting in New York City to demand that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer step down for refusing to pointlessly shut down the government this month.
These are desperate last gasps. Since 2008, when the party of Bill Clinton, once the moderate Democratic savior, became the party of Barack Obama, the Democrats have lurched so far left that their most sacred shibboleths of wokeism appear to most Americans as beyond parody.
Sanders & AOC are well aware that as they continue to try to sell gender bending, the green new deal, and endless illegal immigration, there are lean and hungry Democrats like Rep. Ritchie Torres D-NY, Sen. John Fetterman D-PA, and New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo who are ready to remake the party in their more centrist image.
Even fellow comedian and TV Host Bill Maher is sticking it to Sanders & AOC by accepting a friendly invitation to meet with Trump. His message is clear; screaming, “THIS ISN’T NORMAL!!!” over and over again isn’t working and never will.
This Burns & Allen act that Sanders & AOC have going on is meant to spur the Democratic faithful into revolt against semi-normal party leaders, the kind who won’t encourage the destruction of Teslas or stand around outside empty DC office buildings singing 1960s resistance songs off-key.
Those more centrist Democrats have the upper hand now, and they know it. This is why instead of barnstorming the country with political celebrities, they are biding their time, building their war chests, and plotting a new course for their party.
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In the end, don’t be surprised if Sanders & AOC’s Fighting Oligarchy Tour turns out to be the final goodbye tour of socialism in the Democratic Party and in our national politics.
The American people gave the party of Obama a good fair chance and, for their trouble, wound up in a deeply divided nation overwhelmed by illegal immigration, a crushing cost of living and frankly, a stark and troubling lack of patriotism.
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Put another way, the party of Obama has failed, and no matter how many times Sanders & AOC yuk it up for a crowd of liberal college-educated women, that fact and its electoral consequences are not going to change.
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Air Force wrestler’s post-win gesture for Trump steals the spotlight
Oklahoma State Cowboys wrestler Wyatt Hendrickson saluted President Donald Trump on Saturday night following his historic upset of Minnesota’s Gable Steveson in the 285-pound division at the NCAA Wrestling Championships.
Hendrickson, who is a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, pointed toward the president and gave him a salute as he was handed the American flag. Trump waved his fist in support. He then shook Trump’s hand and hugged him as part of his celebration.
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“It’s bigger than worlds, Olympics, anything,” Hendrickson said.
The win was considered one of the biggest upsets in NCAA wrestling history. Steveson was looking for his third national title amid a 70-match winning streak. He won the national titles in 2021 and 2022 before taking a year off in 2023 to pursue the NFL and a WWE career. He came back for the 2024 season.
Steveson gave up a takedown with 20 seconds left in the match. Then, Hendrickson scored once more before time expired. The crowd and the broadcasters were stunned.
Hendrickson touched on his mentality going into the bout and how his faith played a role in his victory.
“I think it’s going to be a couple more days before the emotions settle down. But first, I just want to thank my family. I want to thank my lord and savior, Jesus Christ, for blessing me,” he said, via ASAP Sports. “In that last shot, I was in on that leg and there was a little extra push behind me to get that takedown. I don’t think that was by chance.
“At the beginning of the week, Brandon Mason, our doctor, we went to Life Church and he was, like, ‘Hey, guys great sermon.’ I was listening to the sermon. He was talking about David and Goliath. And David had a vision of victory before he stepped on the mat.”
Hendrickson suggested he focused on that story as Steveson was the favorite to win.
PENN STATE WRESTLERS SPEAK OUT ON TRUMP’S ATTENDANCE AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
“I kind of carried that with me all week. Even though he went after Goliath and everyone was, like, ‘This can’t be done,’ he had a mind of a champion, he had a vision of victory. Leading up to this tournament, I knew that my head had to be in the right place if I wanted to end up on top.
“Going out there, I was courageous. And my strength is – it worked out. I wrestled that match. I was patient. I went in with the right mindset. And off the bat I was, like, ‘This isn’t going to be an easy match.’ Right off the beginning it was scrambles on the out. I didn’t want to concede any points. That was the mindset I had to have, was to act like I wanted to be a champion and wrestle like I wanted to be a champion.
“He took me down once. But I took him down when it mattered.”
Hendrickson said he plans on serving in the Air Force for the next 20 years and is currently an acquisitions officer. He said he’s in the World Class Athlete Program, which allowed him to wrestle this year.
“From the very beginning I knew I wanted to make the military my career, which was obviously why I chose the Air Force Academy, I was looking at more than wrestling, I was looking at my career goals, life goals,” he added. “I could accomplish all those at the Air Force Academy. Wrestle in the Big 12. Get a world-class education, being part of something bigger than myself.
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“I’ll wrestle for three more and then I’ll do my – I plan on staying for 20. Yes, I’m planning on making a career out of it. As soon as I am done wrestling, doing my required, but it will be about nine years. I plan on, if it’s not broken, it doesn’t need to be fixed.”
Common behavior is quietly boosting cancer risk for Americans, experts warn
Researchers are warning that men who regularly dodge prostate cancer screening appointments are 45% more likely to die from the disease.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men and the second-leading cause of cancer deaths, according to UC San Francisco (UCSF).
But if screening programs are introduced on a national scale — particularly those that measure levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood — they could give men earlier access to treatment, experts say.
PROSTATE CANCER CASES SPIKE IN THIS US STATE AS DOCTORS SHARE LIKELY REASON
They would thus have a better chance of being cured, according to reporting by news agency SWNS and others.
Screening can also prevent costly treatments associated with advanced prostate cancer.
That’s according to data from the European Randomised Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC).
The study collects information from seven European nations — Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium and Spain. It is said to be the world’s largest prostate cancer screening study, said SWNS.
COMMON CANCER TYPE COULD BE DETECTED WITH NEW BLOOD TEST
Long-term data from this entity consistently shows that PSA screening programs can lead to a 20% reduced risk of dying from prostate cancer.
‘Stark contrast’
Now, an analysis of 20-year follow-up data from the ERSPC is the first to look at the link between the consistent decline of screening invitations and men’s risk of dying from this type of cancer.
It reveals a “stark contrast” that emphasizes the potential consequences of screening avoidance.
Of the 72,460 men invited to partake in screenings, around one in six were non-attenders and skipped every appointment.
Researchers from Erasmus MC Cancer Institute at the University Medical Centre in the Netherlands led the analysis, said SWNS.
Of the 72,460 men invited to partake in the screenings, around one in six were non-attenders and skipped every single appointment.
That group had a 45% higher risk of dying from prostate cancer compared with those who attended screening appointments, according to the findings.
When comparing outcomes with the control group – men who were never invited to have screenings – those who attended the screening appointments had a 23% lower risk of dying from prostate cancer, while non-attenders faced a 39% higher risk, SWNS reported.
Lead study author Renée Leenen, M.D., Ph.D., said the choice not to participate in screening may be driven by a complex collection of factors.
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Said Leenen, who is with the Erasmus CM Cancer Institute in the Netherlands, “It may be that men who opted not to attend a screening appointment are care avoiders — meaning they’re less likely to engage in healthy behaviors and preventative care in general.”
Experts “need to better understand who these men are, why they choose not to attend appointments and how to motivate them.”
She added, “This is the opposite behavior of people who are perhaps more health-conscious and are more likely to attend a screening appointment … Our study identifies that men who were invited for screening, but do not attend screening appointments, are at a significantly higher risk of dying from prostate cancer compared to men who were not offered screening or accepted an invitation for screening.”
Dr. Leenen said that experts “need to better understand who these men are, why they choose not to attend appointments and how to motivate them.”
Doing so, she added, “will help us design population-based prostate cancer screening programs that encourage higher rates of informed participation … Tackling attendance rates in this way could be a big factor in the long-term success of a national prostate screening program,” SWNS reported.
Urologist Tobias Nordström, M.D., Ph.D., of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, said, “We need to better understand why these men might actively choose not to participate in screening, despite being invited to attend, and how this behavior is linked to worse outcomes when they get a diagnosis.”
The findings from the study are scheduled to be presented this weekend at the European Association of Urology (EAU) Congress in Madrid, Spain, said SWNS.
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Fox News’ senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel, who was not involved in the new study on prostate cancer risks, previously called out the need for regular medical screenings.
Siegel has emphasized the need to “diagnose it early for better outcomes.”
Tom Cruise sparks romance rumors after night out in London with Hollywood star
Tom Cruise and Ana de Armas sparked romance rumors after the two were spotted out together in London for the second time in two months.
On the night before Valentine’s Day, the 62-year-old actor and the 36-year-old actress were pictured walking through London’s Soho neighborhood as de Armas carried what appeared to be takeout bags of food from a restaurant. The two stopped for photos with fans before leaving in a taxi together.
At the time, a source told People magazine the “Mission Impossible” star and the “Ghosted” actress had dined out with their agents, saying they were “discussing potential collaborations down the line.” The insider claimed Cruse and de Armas “appeared to have no romantic connection” and were “just friends.”
However, the duo further fueled dating speculation when they were again photographed together March 14 as they arrived at the London Heliport by helicopter at night.
TOM CRUISE AND ANA DE ARMAS FUEL ROMANCE RUMORS AFTER STEPPING OUT IN LONDON AGAIN
While speaking with People, a source said Cruise and de Armas are collaborating on an upcoming project, but they are not romantically involved. According to the insider, director Doug Liman accompanied the two on the trip, but further details about the project were not disclosed.
However, celebrity matchmaker Alessandra Conti expressed doubts over whether the relationship between Cruise and de Armas was actually platonic, noting the two are both guarded about their private lives.
She told Fox News Digital Cruise might be particularly wary about putting a new romance on display after his highly publicized relationship with ex-wife Katie Holmes, which ended in divorce in 2012. The “Top Gun” star’s previous marriages to Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman also played out under the glare of the spotlight.
“Since his devastating and public split with Katie, he has kept a low profile when it comes to his personal life. However, his new relationship with Ana De Armas could be his big comeback into being in a celebrity power couple,” Conti said.
“As a matchmaker in Beverly Hills for nearly 13 years, it is clear that Tom was gravely affected by the public nature of his relationship with Katie and was gun-shy and incredibly private with any other potential romances since the split back in 2012.”
“The fact that he was seen publicly with Ana is a huge deal,” Conti added. “My celebrity clients know exactly how to keep their love lives under wraps if that is their desire. So, this is a clear indicator that he is feeling secure about the potential of this romance, though sources are saying that it is merely because they are in a film together.
“Even if they are simply working together, as a celebrity matchmaker, I believe this couple is incredibly compatible for a number of reasons and do think that this could be a lasting Hollywood match if they give it a chance to blossom.”
Conti’s view was shared by Damona Hoffman of “The Dates & Mates,” who pointed out several similarities between Cruise and de Armas that could draw them together as a couple.
“Both are talented, high-energy actors who thrive in action-packed roles. Their dedication to their craft could make them understand and support each other’s demanding careers,” she said.
Hoffman said Cruise and de Armas also share other traits in common, noting the two are both “adventurous” and “driven.”
“The fact that he was seen publicly with Ana is a huge deal.”
“Tom is known for his passion for extreme stunts and adventure, while Ana has shown a bold and ambitious approach to her career,” she said. “Their shared drive could create a strong connection.”
Conti also noted the pair “both love working in the action-film space.” Cruise is one of Hollywood’s biggest action stars, appearing in dozens of movies within the genre and has led the “Mission Impossible” franchise since 1996.
De Armas has starred in several action films, but the duo haven’t appeared in any films together – yet.
“Tom is known for being hands-on even by doing his own stunts, something that Ana has expressed admiration for in the past,” Conti said. “Ana too deep dives into whichever role she is engaging with, and their passion and dedication for the action genre is an exciting compatibility indicator.”
During a 2023 interview, de Armas, who rose to fame with the 2019 mystery film “Knives Out,” heaped praise on Cruise as she discussed what motivated her to take on action roles.
“It’s demanding and painful, and your body is hurting everywhere, but it’s also very rewarding as I saw myself getting better at it,” she told USA Today. “Besides, it’s fun. And if I just go say my lines and someone else does the stunts, I’m missing that fun.”
While speaking with the outlet, de Armas acknowledged she was “not at a Tom Cruise level yet.”
“But I can appreciate what he does 100% now, and I totally get why he does it. He’s so mind-blowing,” she said.
Conti pointed out Cruise and de Armas both paved their own ways to success in the entertainment industry, another commonality that could bring them together.
“They both worked their way through Hollywood with strong work ethic and tenacity. Unlike many of the stars in this generation, Tom is not a nepo-baby and built his career for himself without the help of famous parents,” she said. “Ana is originally from Cuba and had the challenge of breaking into the English-based industry.”
Hoffman told Fox News Digital that while de Armas and Cruise have high-profile careers, they “both manage to balance charm and mystery.”
“Ana keeps her personal life low key (hello new home in Vermont!), which might appeal to Tom, who values discretion despite his fame,” she said.
Last year, de Armas left Hollywood behind and moved into a new home in rural Vermont. During a September 2024 interview with E! News, the actress explained what prompted her to relocate.
“Their shared drive could create a strong connection.”
“I feel like, nowadays, we all want to go away from the craziness of the world,” she said. “We all want to have the chance to build your own safe space. I’ve made that decision myself.”
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“I found a home where I really feel off the grid,” she added. “I can collect myself and only bring there who I want to be with. I have my little cocoon there.”
Like Cruise, de Armas also previously had several public romances. Her former partners include Ben Affleck, Spanish actor Marc Clotet and Tinder executive Paul Boukadakis.
However, the actress previously admitted to Elle magazine the “horrible” attention on her relationship with Affleck, whom she dated from 2020 to 2021, was a factor in her decision to flee Hollywood.
“That’s one of the reasons why I left LA. Going through it confirmed my thoughts about, ‘This is not the place for me to be,'” she said in 2022. “It became a little bit too much. There’s no escape. There’s no way out. … It’s always the feeling of something that you don’t have, something missing. It’s a city that keeps you anxious.”
Hoffman told Fox News Digital de Armas’ aversion to the scrutiny that comes with dating an A-lister could spell trouble for a potential relationship with Cruise.
“Ana de Armas ended her relationship with Ben Affleck partly because she didn’t want the intense Hollywood spotlight and LA lifestyle, two things that are even more inescapable with Tom Cruise, making a similar fate highly likely,” she said.
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“Also, Ana’s star is poised for a meteoric rise and, while Tom is still doing his own stunts now, there will likely come a time in the not-to-distant future when he’s going to need to step back from that kind of hectic, demanding acting work. And I imagine he’d resent seeing his partner shine brighter in her career than him.”
According to Hoffman, their different beliefs might be another stumbling block, citing Cruise’s devotion to Scientology.
The actor has been a Scientologist for over 30 years, and he is one of the religion’s most prominent advocates.
“Tom’s deep ties to Scientology have reportedly played a role in his past relationships ending,” Hoffman said. “Ana, on the other hand, hasn’t shown any interest in that world, which could be a major disconnect.”
While some may assume de Armas and Cruise’s 26-year age difference could be another obstacle, Conti told Fox News Digital she didn’t believe it would have much of an effect.
“There was a 16-year age gap with Ben Affleck, so Ana is no stranger to an age-gap relationship with an actor,” she said.
“This is Hollywood, and while civilians may raise their eyebrows at a 26-year age gap, this is par for the course here,” the celebrity matchmaker added. “Ana clearly is mature, and at 36 years old, her frontal lobe has been developed, so I am in support.
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“Out of all of the men who she has been linked to in the past, I believe that Tom could be ‘the one,'” Conti said. “As a matchmaker, I truly am rooting for Tom to find love and finally have his happily ever after.
“It is clear that he is a man who puts his whole heart into each relationship that he enters, and it can seem like an impossible mission to risk the potential of failure again. … But if anyone can do it, it’s Tom Cruise.”