No Time Like the Present⏱️
Trump realizes he must restart the war — he might as well do it now.
Big booking‼️: Tomorrow, Vice President JD Vance heads to Iowa — a very safe red state — or is it?
🗣️Trump won by 13 percentage points in 2024, but now, everybody from The Wall Street Journal to PBS calls it a toss
📰The Wall Street Journal headlines “The Ruby Red Farm State That Is Now a Political Battleground,” writing:
“Iowa, a state that always plays an outsize role in U.S. politics because of its traditional early spot in presidential nominations, wasn’t supposed to be a political battleground this year.”
📺We’ll talk to Iowa Auditor Rob Sand, the only Democrat to hold statewide office, who now has a real shot at governor
Look back🔙: We highlighted his ad a few weeks ago
This is scary🚨: Taxpayer-funded Texas waterpark announces “Muslim only” day featuring modest dress and Halal-slaughtered meat
Time Waits for No Man⏱️
‼️It appears more likely than not that Trump will restart the war with Iran —
🗣️He’s already daring the Iranians to fire on American Navy ships or commercial ships with his “Project Freedom” to reopen the Strait of Hormuz
Bad choices⚠️: The only group in a worse place than Trump is the Iranians
‼️Iran faces either public humiliation when Trump reopens the strait
💣Or another conflict with a resupplied, well-rested, and better-equipped U.S. military.
CENTCOM reports Iran fired on US ships.
Look back🔙: The Wall Street Journal reporting about Iran training suicide dolphins shows a regime in a terrible spot.
Confusing🤔: So why did they launch a surprise attack on the UAE?
🤷We don’t know — Iran badly misjudged during the start of the war that attacking its neighbors would force a quick end. In fact, the opposite happened.
Timing⌚: The best time to plant an oak tree is 10 years ago — the second best is today.
‼️We are six months to the midterms — each day that goes by is a worse day for Trump
Trump must wrap up the war in Iran and pivot
⚠️Karl Rove warning — polling shows GOP-leaning independents abandoning him.
Tomorrow▶️: 8 a.m. Secretary Pete Hegseth and General Dan Caine brief at the Pentagon
I’ll be on with Markie Martin for “Morning in America.”
Tonight📺: Bill O’Reilly on why Trump may want this war to be over, but that doesn’t mean it is.
Plus➕: Retired Navy Commander Kirk Lippold commanded the same destroyers running escort duty in the strait — what’s it like on those ships?
Sponsored message from Center for the Environment and Welfare
👀 Humane World for Animals (formerly the Humane Society of the United States) is trying to woo DC lawmakers.
🐕They operate pet shelters, right?
❌Wrong! Humane World does not operate a single pet shelter and is not affiliated with local humane societies.
🤑Humane World spends almost $200 million a year, but gives less than 1% of its budget to local pet shelters via financial grants.
💰The group spends tens of millions of dollars on executive pay, fundraising, and travel.
🏝️Humane World even stashes over $100 million in offshore Caribbean accounts.
To find out more, visit EnvironmentAndWelfare.com
Warning from the Past⚠️
🗣️One of America’s first gay congressmen says Democrats should watch out.
Wait what👀: Barney Frank is on his deathbed and released a powerful set of videos warning his own party is out of touch with America
🎤Frank: “Even when I agree with them in the end, I think they make a mistake by taking the most controversial parts of the agenda and turning them into a litmus test.”
🤦Supporting Hamas and wealth taxes work great in primaries and on MS NOW — it’s not where Middle America is
Like it or not🤷: Mayor Mamdani, Abdul El-Sayed, the Seattle mayor ARE the new face of the Democratic Party.
Eye-opening 👀 : Our friend Tara Palmeri interviewed El-Sayed
Small tent‼️: The Democratic Party claims big tent status, yet the most interesting man in the party is nearly persona non grata
Look back 🔙: Senator John Fetterman won in Pennsylvania against a Trump-backed candidate in the 2022 midterms – isn’t that the model Democrats should look at?
Intrigue⁉️: Republicans may actually be able to flip a Senate seat in the midterms without having to campaign at all.
🔃Trump and Senate Republicans are pushing to flip Democratic Sen. Fetterman to Republican.
👀Trump has given his full endorsement and a financial windfall to the Pennsylvanian senator.
Must read📰: Politico headlines, “Inside the Quiet Republican Effort to Flip Fetterman” writing:
“As the Pennsylvania Democrat increasingly is isolated within his own party, Republicans are quietly trying to win him over.”
📉Fetterman’s net approval is at minus-40 points with Pennsylvania Democrats, says CNN Harry Enten —
Look back🔙: In 2023, his approval sat at plus-68 points with the state’s Democrats
Nothing to lose🤷: Fetterman has already pissed off his party with his all-in support of the Iran war, aid to Israel and Trump’s ballroom
Tonight📺: Reagan Reese, Tiffany Smiley and Christina Pascucci join us.
Putin Coup?⚠️
‼️The thing President Putin fears most is his own people — really, the generals and oligarchs that he pays off to keep him in power.
👀This is not dissimilar to Iran.
⌚Life expectancy for former Russian leaders is measured in hours
🚨The Kremlin and Putin are on high alert as CNN reports heightened security around the president due to assassination and coup fears.
Why now🤷: The war in Ukraine isn’t going well
‼️This comes after Moscow said there will be no heavy weaponry like armor and missiles at their World War II Victory Day parade on Red Square
Good read📰: The Atlantic Council headlines, “Putin’s parade once projected power. Now it reveals Russia’s weakness.”
📃The report says, “He is particularly wary of the use of drones for a possible assassination attempt by members of the Russian political elite.”
Putin’s been spending weeks in “fortified bunkers” in Russia’s Krasnodar region.
Look back🔙: Putin already survived a previous coup attempt in 2023.
Tonight📺: Michael O’Hanlon, author of “To Dare Mighty Things: US Defense Strategy Since the Revolution”