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Trump 'incapable' of accepting US has lost the war with Iran: Nobel laureate
President Donald Trump has lost the war with Iran but is refusing to accept it, according to a Nobel Prize winner. Paul Krugman believes that Trump is flat out unable to deal with the fallout of the war in Iran, and that it has not yet set in that the United States' intervention in the Middle East has failed. Writing in his Substack earlier Saturday, Krugman claimed, "It’s been clear for a while that the United States has basically lost this war. "The goal was to achieve regime change, possibly to take Iran’s uranium. Neither of those is going to happen. The Iranian regime is a harder line than it was before. Iran has ended up strengthened because it’s demonstrated its ability to shut off traffic through the Strait of Hormuz."Well, as best I can tell, and this is all speculation now, I don’t think that Trump has taken on board, maybe he’s emotionally incapable of taking on board the reality that he screwed up, that he took us to war and lost, that he, in his mind, still thinks that America has the upper hand and that the Iranians are cowering in fear over the might of the U.S. military, and that he doesn’t need to make any concessions."The Strait of Hormuz had briefly been opened by Iran but was again closed over a US blockade. A new closure of the Strait of Hormuz was confirmed by Iranian military operational command, Khatam Al Anbiya, with a statement accusing the US of "maritime piracy and theft".The statement reads, "For this reason, control of the Strait of Hormuz has reverted to its previous state, and this strategic waterway is under the strict management and control of the armed forces.""Until the US restores the complete freedom of navigation for vessels from an Iranian origin to a destination, and from a destination back to Iran, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain strictly controlled and in its previous state."President Trump previously imposed a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as part of his escalating Iran war strategy, declaring he would "immediately eliminate" Iranian Navy vessels attempting to breach it.
'Not in my interest at all': Pope blows off suggestion he debate Trump
Pope Leo XIV has made clear he has no interest in continuing his public feud with Donald Trump. During his 11-day African tour, the pontiff firmly rejected the notion that he's been debating the American president, insisting his peace message transcends partisan politics.According to Politico, Leo addressed the spiraling controversy that has dominated headlines all week. "There's been a certain narrative that has not been accurate in all of its aspects, but because of the political situation created when, on the first day of the trip, the president of the United States made some comments about myself," Leo said."Much of what has been written since then has been more commentary on commentary, trying to interpret what has been said."The Pope was defending his remarks at a peace meeting in Bamenda, Cameroon — a city at the epicenter of a separatist conflict ravaging the country's Anglophone region for nearly a decade. In those remarks, Leo had blasted the "handful of tyrants" who were ravaging Earth with war and exploitation, Politico is reporting.Leo emphasized the remarks predated Trump's attacks. "My remarks were written two weeks ago, long before Trump's criticisms began," he explained, undercutting Trump's narrative that the Pope was specifically targeting him."And yet as it happens, it was looked at as if I was trying to debate again the president, which is not in my interest at all," Leo said, making clear he views the controversy as a distraction.Looking forward, the Pope signaled his priorities lie elsewhere. "I primarily come to Africa as a pastor, as the head of the Catholic Church to be with, to celebrate with, to encourage and accompany all the Catholics throughout Africa."
US war with Iran could get 'harder' as Trump team nears worst-case scenario: analyst
President Donald Trump has made the war with Iran much trickier after prematurely declaring victory, a political analyst has warned. Trump took to Truth Social and made a series of posts regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. One post reads, "President Xi is very happy that the Strait of Hormuz is open and/or rapidly opening. Our meeting in China will be a special one and, potentially, Historic. I look forward to being with President Xi — Much will be accomplished! President DONALD J. TRUMP."Another saw Trump declare the matter of reopening the strait over. "Now that the Hormuz Strait situation is over, I received a call from NATO asking if we would need some help," he wrote yesterday. "I TOLD THEM TO STAY AWAY, UNLESS THEY JUST WANT TO LOAD UP THEIR SHIPS WITH OIL. They were useless when needed, a Paper Tiger! President DJT."But in declaring victory with the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which has since been closed once again according to Iranian media, Trump has made ending the war with Iran that much trickier. The Preparedness and Politics Substack argues that the declaration of victory so close to the new closure makes peace a much tougher conclusion to the war. They wrote, "For shipping markets and insurance underwriters, the political contradiction is itself risk. "When the US president publicly declares victory while ten thousand US personnel actively enforce a blockade that the other party calls illegal and threatens to retaliate against, the contradiction is a reason to keep rates high. "If Iran reneges on the opening — as the April 7-8 pattern suggests is entirely possible — lifting the blockade in response becomes harder, not easier, because Trump has already claimed the situation is resolved."A new closure of the Strait of Hormuz was confirmed by Iranian military operational command, Khatam Al Anbiya, with a statement accusing the US of "maritime piracy and theft".The statement reads, "For this reason, control of the Strait of Hormuz has reverted to its previous state, and this strategic waterway is under the strict management and control of the armed forces. "Until the US restores the complete freedom of navigation for vessels from an Iranian origin to a destination, and from a destination back to Iran, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain strictly controlled and in its previous state."President Trump previously imposed a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as part of his escalating Iran war strategy, declaring he would "immediately eliminate" Iranian Navy vessels attempting to breach it.
India fails to pass bill to boost women’s representation after delimitation row
Opposition accuses Narendra Modi government of using quotas as cover for redrawing electoral mapThe Indian government has failed to pass a bill to increase female representation in parliament after being accused of using the plan as a guise to redraw the country’s electoral map.It was the first time in 12 years in power that a constitutional amendment proposed by Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) government was not passed by parliament. Continue reading...
CNN host parses Trump's strange slip-up in Iran statement: 'Maybe a Freudian slip'
President Donald Trump proclaimed the Strait of Hormuz has been re-opened, but that's not exactly how he put it.The 79-year-old president notified Americans that Iran would begin to allow "full passage" in what he inaccurately identified as "the Strait of Iran," the narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman that has been closed to most commercial shipping traffic since Trump authorized a joint U.S.-Israel military operation."Now, I don't know if it was a typo or maybe a Freudian slip," said CNN's John Berman. "But if you step back, the reason I'm asking it this way, because if you step back, you know, a mile here and look at this last seven weeks, there are those who suggest one of the impacts your long term might be that Iran does have now full control of that strait, that it has become the Strait of Iran. What do you think of that?"Retired admiral James Stavridis agreed the president's announcement was confusing, and he tried to make sense of that statement and subsequent posts Trump made explaining the current situation. "Well, at least he didn't say it's the 'Strait of Trump,'" Stavridis said, echoing an idea the president has publicly discussed. "But, let's face it, you're exactly right that the concern is, hey, if we allow Iran to kind of open and close the switch and decide whether it's open or not, are we willing sovereignty over to them? That's why I am encouraged by the second posting he made, which is that the blockade remains in effect. That's sort of your stopper in a hand of bridge, if you will. So I think probably your point, not the most elegant language in the first post, second post, we're still on top of this. We're watching it, but before we get off this conversation and I know we're just on the hour, it is good news. It is a step by Iran that could help close the big deal, the negotiation, perhaps as soon as this weekend.""There's a humanitarian side to this, but there's also a big strategic play here," he added. "Let's hope both sides are indicating they've come a little bit closer as a result of this statement." - YouTube youtu.be
Trump rails against 'useless' allies offering help: 'I told them to stay away'
President Donald Trump lashed out at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Friday after reports suggested his administration and Tehran have reached a deal to fully re-open the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that NATO allies had offered help, which he immediately rejected.“Now that the Hormuz Strait situation is over, I received a call from NATO asking if we would need some help,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. “I TOLD THEM TO STAY AWAY, UNLESS THEY JUST WANT TO LOAD UP THEIR SHIPS WITH OIL. They were useless when needed, a Paper Tiger!”The Strait of Hormuz – a critical shipping waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil trade flows – was opened Friday to all commercial ships for the remainder of the ongoing two-week ceasefire tentatively agreed to by Washington and Tehran. The Trump administration is reportedly considering unfreezing $20 billion in Iranian funds, a consideration that drew sharp criticism from critics.
One 'festering' issue predicted to sink GOP as analyst flags problem 'bigger than Trump'
The Republican Party has a problem on its hands that is bigger than anything President Donald Trump is currently doing, a political analyst has claimed.David Pakman believes recent comments from Marjorie Taylor Greene and former GOP representatives, including Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, highlight the problem with current reps. Greene, a once-prominent ally of Trump and the MAGA movement, commented on the alleged cognitive decline of Trump in a recent interview.In a clip shared by News 4 Tucson, Greene said, "I really think that his [Trump's] mental capacity needs to be examined. His rhetoric has been shocking to many Americans and people around the world."A separate appearance on CNN earlier this week from Greene had the GOP ex-rep, who resigned from Georgia's 14th congressional district in 2026, criticize Trump for a Truth Social post.Trump, referencing Iran in a post to Truth Social on April 7, wrote, "...a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again." Greene reposted the comment, adding, "25th AMENDMENT!!!"The 25th Amendment provides a temporary transfer of the President's powers to the Vice President. This transfer can be made by the President or on the initiative of the Vice President, with the backing of a majority of the cabinet.Greene added, "I think we have to truly question the mental stability of any President who threatens to wipe out an entire civilization of people. That would include all the innocent people in that country who have nothing to do with the war."Especially after President Trump said this was about freeing the Iranian people from the Iranian regime. For him to call to wipe out an entire civilization of people, it's absolutely wrong."Pakman believes the change in rhetoric from one of "Trump's most ardent defenders" is a sign the GOP must be vocal about their opposition to the President.He said, "This is way bigger than Trump. It exposes the Republican Party as happy with a system in which they know better, but they don't say a word. They just allow it to continue festering and perpetuate itself. Every once in a while, somebody like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Adam Kinzinger, or Liz Cheney, breaks rank and they say the quiet part out loud."Whether it's about Trump's authoritarianism or the cognitive stuff, they are seen as the exception. Now, they may not be the majority of Republicans, but there are a lot of Republicans who believe the exact same thing because they see the exact same thing."
President's son singled out for hypocritical corruption 'signal' he's sending from China
Yet another conflict of interest is blossoming in plain sight in the Trump administration, Zeeshan Aleem warned in an analysis for MS NOW — this time centering on Eric Trump's involvement in a state visit to China."It’s going to be a high-stakes visit, during which he’s likely to discuss trade, fentanyl trafficking, and Iran policy with Chinese President Xi Jinping. And for some reason he’s bringing along his son Eric Trump," wrote Aleem. "Eric Trump is not a member of his father’s administration. He’s the executive vice president of the Trump Organization, whose holdings include real estate properties and blockchain."The Trump administration, for its part, insists everything is aboveboard, that Eric Trump is just coming along in his “personal capacity as a supportive son,” and that he doesn't have business interest in China.But all of this still stinks, Aleem wrote: "This trip creates all kinds of possibilities for deal-making that could undermine the public interest. And we know Trump knows this, too — if for no other reason than his obsession with slamming the Biden family for Hunter Biden accompanying then-Vice President Joe Biden to China."Eric Trump has already come under scrutiny for his deals to create World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency firm that stands to gain big from the Trump administration's financial policies. And that's just the tip of the iceberg, Aleem noted."Donald Trump has made his second term unfathomably corrupt, and he has brazenly profited off his presidency," Aleem continued. "Trump has a media company, several cryptocurrency businesses, and opaque merchandise businesses. He has reportedly insinuated to oil executives that his policies are for sale. He has secured money from legal settlements that look more like tributes to a king than reasonable financial or legal agreements." All told, The New Yorker believes the Trump family has profited by at least $4 billion through abusing their access to the presidency, although some of Trump's business partners dispute these figures.Ultimately, Aleem concluded, "Eric Trump’s decision to accompany his father doesn’t just look inappropriate, it looks like a signal for investors. Why else bring Eric Trump along on a state visit? He could always visit on his own, privately. But then there would be less opportunity to further blur the line between private and public interests, and less opportunity for Trump’s family members to line their pockets."
Trump's 'off-the-wall threats' on Truth Social have MAGA 'deserting him': expert
President Donald Trump risks losing his most emboldened MAGA supporters because of his maddening Truth Social posts. Trump has used the social media platform to criticize political opponents, issue threats to world leaders, and announce endorsements for political candidates. More recently, he has used his Truth Social account to issue threats to Iran, with the war between the Middle Eastern country and the United States set to enter its seventh week of conflict. Professor Anthony Glees, a political professor at the University of Buckingham, says the constant barrage of Trump posts has angered his core support, who may now abandon him ahead of the midterm elections. Glees told Raw Story, "The last thing Trump wants to do is put US boots on the ground; the casualties would be massive and US public opinion would mean he'd be impeached. So he has to settle. He knows his MAGA base is deserting him."The folks who largely elected him because he did promise no overseas 'forever wars' and because he said there'd be an end to US boots on the ground, are now turning against him big time. That's unhinged, and it has terrified his own supporters as much as it terrified ordinary Iranians, although I doubt if it worried either the ayatollahs or the IRGC commanders."Glees also referenced a post made by Trump on April 7, where Trump ordered the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened. A post made earlier this week by Trump saw the president promise to open the Strait of Hormuz permanently. Trump wrote, "China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them, also - And the World. This situation will never happen again. They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran. "President Xi will give me a big, fat, hug when I get there in a few weeks. We are working together smartly, and very Well! Doesn't that beat fighting??? BUT REMEMBER, we are very good at fighting, if we have to - far better than anyone else!!!"Glees added, "The peace will stick more or less because both sides want it. The ayatollahs and the IRGC get to carry on running Iran (they are the bad side of evil of course), and Trump gets to avoid impeachment."Why does Trump want a peace deal with Iran? Because he's not winning, he's losing the war. Iran is not finished, and it currently has the world's economy in a stranglehold."
Trump's favorite insult turned against him: 'This is what happens when losers lead'
President Donald Trump has used the word "loser" to describe plenty of his enemies, but now that insult might be coming back to haunt him, an analyst said on Wednesday. The New Republic's Matt Ford discussed how Trump's Iran war has suspended trade through the Strait of Hormuz, effectively "the geopolitical equivalent of stabbing the global economy’s femoral artery." Iran has taken control of the channel, and although Trump has argued that the United States has won the conflict, the world does not see it as he does. "This is what happens when losers are elected to lead the world’s only superpower," Ford wrote. Trump has surrounded himself with people, including Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who have openly expressed a similar sentiment — "whose worldview is driven by personal grievances against the world." "Fascism and loserdom go hand in hand because fascism is predicated on the notion that the fascist has been unjustly cheated and robbed, and that only through force can they restore and revitalize themselves," Ford wrote. "Fascists idolize losers because no fascist society has ever flourished and because they see themselves reflected in other people’s failures. It is fitting that Trump and his allies have lavished praise and public statuary upon Robert E. Lee, a Virginia-born colonel who is best known for leading a failed rebellion against the United States on behalf of a slaver aristocracy in the South.""The goal of Trumpism, it could be said, is to create losers of us all," Ford added. "The political and economic project’s goal is not to materially improve its adherents’ lives. Instead, it is to create a sense of social order for some people that offers an aesthetic sense of improvement, even as one’s standard of living declines in real terms."
Firestorm as Trump official defends war crime threat as merely 'mean tweets'
The United States UN ambassador was facing a tough line of questioning from lawmakers on Wednesday over the ongoing Iran war and President Donald Trump's dire threat to destroy "a whole civilization." Mike Waltz was testifying to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on American foreign policy amid the ongoing military conflict, as the ceasefire between the United States and Iran was just days away from ending. His responses around the president's threats last week reportedly caught the lawmakers off guard. Kyle Griffin, executive producer of The Weeknight on MS NOW, described on X how Waltz reacted when he "was asked by senators about Trump's threat to obliterate Iran — when he posted 'a whole civilization will die tonight.'"Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) posed a question for Waltz, describing how the United Nations and the United States have historically been involved in developing laws of war to prevent unnecessary civilian deaths in military conflicts. "But President Trump has said that if Iran does not comply with his demands that he will 'end Iran's civilization' with specific threats to target civilian infrastructure," Murphy said. "This looks to a lot of us, and to the world, like a promise by the president of the United States to commit war crimes. I'm sure you don't agree with that assessment, but we've never had a president before threaten to 'end an entire civilization,' and double down on that claim, if that country does not accede to the demands of the United States." "So what does the president mean when he says that if these negotiations don't work out, he will 'end Iran's civilization'?" Murphy asked.Waltz defended Trump's comments, citing Iran's previous actions. "Senator, it was some tough talk," Waltz said, claiming that Trump's comments had led to a ceasefire and prompted ongoing negotiations. Murphy pushed back on Waltz. "I guess it's an open question whether we should pursue our aims by threatening another nation with mass civilian casualty," Murphy said. "I don't know if that's something we should celebrate that we are able to cow nations to our demands by threatening to kill civilians." Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) pressed Waltz to explain why the U.S. should continue fighting in a "deeply unpopular war.""It might be some mean tweets, it might be some tough love, but they got the message," Waltz said, defending Trump's decision to post the threat on his Truth Social platform. Users on social media commented on Waltz's response about "mean tweets." "We are all in Middle School," former Republican and political commentator Nancy Ruth Gorelo wrote on X."Mike Waltz's response is totally unacceptable for a UN ambassador," Artist and commentator Art Candee wrote on X."Well, mean tweets are typical from Trump and JD Vance, the meanest p---- a-- b------ hanging with the other mean girls in the cafeteria," political commentator Robert Johnson wrote on X, sharing two photos of "Mean Girls" with Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Trump boasts he expects a 'big, fat hug' from China's leader over his Iran efforts
Early Wednesday morning, Donald Trump took to his Truth Social account to boast that he will be able to open the Strait of Hormuz for the benefit of China and he expects the country's leadership to appreciate his efforts.With shipping at almost a complete standstill due to Trump’s war on Iran, the president claimed that China, normally a US adversary, will benefit from his latest attempt at a diplomatic maneuver as ceasefire talks drag on.On Truth Social, he wrote: “China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them, also - And the World. This situation will never happen again. They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran. President Xi will give me a big, fat, hug when I get there in a few weeks.”"We are working together smartly, and very well! Doesn’t that beat fighting??? BUT REMEMBER, we are very good at fighting, if we have to - far better than anyone else!!! President DJT,” he added.
