“They call it a military operation because that way, you don’t have a war, you don’t have legal problems.”
— President Trump, at a speech last night.
For Your Weekend Listening
Join now to continue reading.
Members get exclusive analysis, bonus features and no advertising. Learn more.
Trump Compares the U.S. Navy to ‘Pirates’
President Trump said the U.S. navy acted “like pirates” as he described an operation seizing a ship amid the American blockade of Iranian ports, The Guardian reports.
Said Trump: “We land on top of it and we took over the ship. We took over the cargo, took over the oil. It’s a very profitable business.”
He added: “We’re like pirates. We’re sort of like pirates. But we’re not playing games.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“I took three cognitive tests. Aced all of them, by the way. I’m the only president to take a cognitive test. I don’t think Obama could pass it. The first question is very easy — it’s a lion, a giraffe, a bear, and a shark. They say, ‘Which one is the bear?'”
— President Trump, at a speech last night.
Melania Hates When Trump Dances to Y.M.C.A.
President Trump revealed that First Lady Melania Trump “hates” that he loves dancing to “the gay national anthem” to close off his rallies and said that she begged him to stop on the 2024 campaign trail, Mediaite reports.
The Real Reason Iran Hasn’t Struck a Deal
Thomas Wright: “The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has proved far more resilient than either Washington or Jerusalem anticipated. An institution that has survived multiple rounds of air strikes, international isolation, and the death of much of its senior leadership does not capitulate because a few more names are removed from the org chart. And hard-liners are spread throughout the regime, not just in the IRGC.”
“Iran and the United States have failed to come to an agreement not because hard-liners are blocking pragmatists inside Iran, but because both sides seem to sincerely believe that they have won the war.”
Quote of the Day
“The Kimmel shit is annoying. Like, the fighting with Kimmel over the jokes. Stop trying to shut down comedy.”
— Joe Rogan, quoted by The Wrap, criticizing President Trump’s call for ABC to fire Jimmy Kimmel for a joke he didn’t like.
A Defiant Iran Leaves Trump with Few Options
Los Angeles Times: “More than 60 days into his war with Iran, well past public deadlines he had set for its end, President Trump sat through a briefing from U.S. Central Command outlining yet another set of options for a fresh round of strikes.”
“On offer Thursday were unpalatable choices for a president eager to move on from the conflict he started. Renewed U.S. attacks risk inflaming the war beyond Trump’s control, undermining a fragile ceasefire for which American allies fought hard. But the very need for such a briefing underscored how difficult a position the president has found himself in.”
Trump Is Running Out of Options on Gas Prices
Washington Post: “As the conflict stretches into its 10th week, the White House has exhausted many of the policy levers the federal government can use to mitigate surging gas prices, and the options that remain carry other economic and political risks for the president.”
These GOP Women Want Abusers to Pay a Price
New York Times: “The men at the helm of the party, President Trump and top Republican congressional leaders, were still standing by Mr. Gonzales, whose vote they needed to maintain their narrow majority in the House.”
“But among the small minority of G.O.P. lawmakers in the House who are women, an outspoken trio on the hard right — Representatives Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Lauren Boebert of Colorado — went on the war path and ultimately helped force Mr. Gonzales’s resignation in May under the threat of expulsion.”
“It was part of an unlikely campaign by three MAGA women to call out what they say is a culture of rampant sexual harassment and misconduct on Capitol Hill, and to dismantle the unwritten rules of political expediency and tribal loyalty that for decades have helped to keep such behavior under wraps.”
Trump’s Vision for ‘Garden of Heroes’ Keeps Getting Bigger
“President Trump’s vision for his National Garden of American Heroes is growing larger and most likely more expensive than his initial estimates, with the latest plans calling for reflecting pools, dining facilities and an amphitheater alongside 250 life-size statues of notable Americans,” the New York Times reports.
“The plans have expanded to the point that they could require significant redevelopment of West Potomac Park, an area of mostly sports fields near the National Mall.”
Trump’s Push for Retribution Heads to the Ballot Box
“President Trump has spent the past year using the federal government to target those he considers his political enemies. Now, in a series of primaries this month, he is turning his ire on fellow Republicans by asking voters to punish those who have crossed him,” the New York Times reports.
“Contests in Indiana, Louisiana and Kentucky in the coming weeks all feature Trump-backed challengers trying to oust Republican incumbents who have earned Mr. Trump’s ire. The fights have soaked up energy and cash from the president’s allies and his political operation, pulling attention away from the broader battle with Democrats over control of Congress this fall.”
Trump Says U.S. Might Prefer No Deal with Iran
President Trump said that the United States could be “better off” if officials don’t reach a deal with Iran, as negotiations again appear snagged, CNN reports.
Said Trump: “Frankly, maybe we’re better off not making a deal at all. Do you want to know the truth? Because we can’t let this thing go on. Been going on too long.”
Louisiana Enters Election Chaos
“Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s abrupt decision to postpone the state’s House primaries just days before voting was scheduled to begin has sent Republican officials scrambling,” Politico reports.
“Local election heads are convening open meetings to educate voters about the change, which Landry triggered immediately after the Supreme Court ruled earlier this week that its map was unconstitutional, blowing a hole in the Voting Rights Act. That’s giving Republicans the narrowest of windows to gerrymander one or two new seats before the 2026 midterms — and is leaving candidates guessing where they might be running.”
Democrats Are Courting These Donors to Help in 2028
“The 2028 Democratic presidential primary race won’t begin in earnest until after November’s midterm elections. But speed dating is already well under way among prospective candidates and major donors on Wall Street and elsewhere,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The flirtations are risky. Wall Street and wealth are viewed with great suspicion among many of the progressives likely to play a significant role in picking the party’s nominee, and taxing the rich and bashing capitalism have become a rallying cry for many of them. Wall Street has nonetheless long been a significant source of money for the party, and that will continue to be the case in this year’s midterm election and in 2028.”
How Germany Misjudged Trump’s Anger on Iran
“As President Trump fired off a series of social media posts criticizing Germany this past week, including a threat to pull some American troops from the country, German leaders showed no public signs that they believed the president was serious,” the New York Times reports.
“That now appears to have been a miscalculation — one of several that German leaders have made in the course of Mr. Trump’s war against Iran.”
Spirit Airlines Shuts Down
“Spirit Airlines is shutting down operations effective immediately, the airline said in a statement early Saturday, after a White House proposal to bail out the beleaguered budget carrier fell through,” the Washington Post reports.
Two More Southern States to Redraw Maps
“Two more Republican-controlled states took steps Friday to redraw their congressional maps as party leaders try to capitalize on the Supreme Court’s decision this week to weaken the Voting Rights Act,” the Washington Post reports.
“Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) both called special sessions aimed at picking up more Republican seats, part of a gerrymandering war unprecedented in modern times.”
“That followed Republican Gov. Jeff Landry’s announcement Thursday that he would suspend Louisiana’s May 16 U.S. House primaries so his state could redraw its map.”
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 8668
- Next Page »
