"Major Military Punishment": Trump's Threat To Houthis Over Red Sea Attacks

07/23/26 9:04 PM

Trump said that the US will hold Iran responsible for Houthi attacks.

'Conspiracy of silence' critics urge CIA director to 'stand up to Trump' or 'resign'

07/23/26 12:34 PM

President Donald Trump's election theft speech put his CIA director in the spotlight — and now calls are mounting for him to push back, according to a new report. Questions are being raised about Director John Ratcliffe's conduct during the initial investigation into foreign election tampering and his silence now as the president fires off "Looney Tunes" accusations, MS NOW's David Rohde reported Thursday. Ratcliffe's complicity—or silence—has become impossible to ignore, according to Rohde.As Trump's current CIA director, Ratcliffe served as Director of National Intelligence from May 2020 through January 2021, controlling what intelligence reached the president's desk and what remained hidden.The timing, Rohde argued, is damning.Trump claimed in his recent speech that U.S. intelligence agencies discovered Chinese interference in the 2020 election but deliberately concealed it from him.Yet Ratcliffe was the gatekeeper deciding what Trump saw and didn't see during that exact period, Rohde noted.Trump's declassified documents, released to support his election fraud narrative, claim U.S. intelligence learned in 2020 that China had "bought, stolen or hacked" tens of millions of Americans' voting records. According to Trump, spy agencies kept this bombshell secret.But Ratcliffe was one of the officials who decided what warranted inclusion in Trump's daily briefings, Rohde wrote. He argued if the intelligence existed as Trump claims, then Ratcliffe bore responsibility for either including or excluding it."Critics say that Ratcliffe should stand up to Trump and threaten to resign — or actually resign — as cabinet members did in his first term, including former Defense Secretary Gen. Jim Mattis, former Attorney General Bill Barr, and former CIA director Gina Haspel," Rohde wrote.Instead, Ratcliffe has maintained silence—enabling what former CIA analyst Julia Curlee describes as a "conspiracy of silence" enveloping Washington.Curlee, who recently resigned after 20 years of service, told MS NOW, "To me, it was crossing a Rubicon where the institution itself was being conscripted into the creation of a product to reinforce the president's messaging. I never thought that I would see the CIA participating in a presidential effort to delegitimize elections in the eyes of Americans."Former senior CIA official Marc Polymeropoulos acknowledged Ratcliffe's impossible position: protecting both his job and the CIA's institutional integrity while serving a president hostile to both."Ratcliffe certainly does need to play it both ways in some respects, as he's got a workforce at CIA that will not react well to sources and methods being compromised based on cherry-picked intelligence to promote Looney Tunes conspiracy theories," Polymeropoulos, an MS NOW contributor added. "But at the same time, he's gotta protect his job from the mercurial Trump. So far, he's managed to successfully dance through the raindrops on this issue."

'Demented old man at the helm': Trump skewered for Truth Social diplomacy 'failure'

07/23/26 5:13 PM

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Thursday that President Donald Trump has used Truth Social to announce changes to the Saudi nuclear deal, sparking backlash online.Leavitt told reporters during a White House press conference that Trump had made the public comments despite the fact that he had not consulted them this time."As you know, the president just put this statement out a few hours ago," Leavitt said. "I don't believe he's had a call with MBS in the hours since. However, this is something that he has raised in previous conversations and has also said many times in the past."Social media users responded to the change.Journalist Aaron Rupar shared a clip from the press conference and noted the significant shift. "Leavitt confirms that Trump is unilaterally changing the terms of the Saudi nuclear deal via Truth Social posts without even contacting any Saudi officials," Rupar wrote on X.Others were quick to point out the president's move."This is why Trump is a failure on the world stage," Vince Wilson, a YouTube creator and liberal political commentator, wrote on X. "It’s all theatrics."U.S. politics and culture historian Joanne Freeman suggested Trump's post represented a repeating pattern."He will never stick with any deal," Freeman wrote. "He will never accept that he has lost…anything. He sees nothing but himself. Pretty clear by this point."Oeishik a political commentator, with more than 11,000 followers, openly mocked Trump's tactic."That's one way to do diplomacy, I guess. In this upside-down world," Oeishik wrote.Denison Barb, a progressive commentator with more than 19,000 followers, responded on X, When you have a demented old man at the helm no one knows what's going on."Leavitt confirms that Trump is unilaterally changing the terms of the Saudi nuclear deal via Truth Social posts without even contacting any Saudi officials pic.twitter.com/DjcRBANhvj— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 23, 2026

'No enrichment!': Saudi deal reportedly threatened by Trump's sudden Truth Social demand

07/23/26 1:49 PM

President Donald Trump's controversial nuclear deal with the leadership of Saudi Arabia is now in doubt after the president threw the Middle Eastern nation a curve on Thursday morning.Trump abruptly inserted a bombshell condition into a nuclear agreement that was supposedly finalized just 24 hours earlier: Saudi Arabia must normalize relations with Israel to receive U.S. nuclear technology, The Washington Post is reporting.The move has thrown the entire agreement into chaos, according to the report. Trump announced via Truth Social that the civil nuclear deal—which would allow Saudi Arabia to develop nuclear power plants and pursue enrichment programs—is "totally subject" to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, the initiative from his first term designed to normalize Israeli-Arab relations.“The Civil Nuclear Deal (There will be no enrichment of material!) being made between the United States Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia, which pertains only to non-military use such as the ones that Iran and UAE (and others) already have, will be approved,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday. “But is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords.”The problem is monumental: Saudi Arabia has consistently refused to join the Abraham Accords and shows no signs of capitulating now.According to the Post, "That attaches a major string to the deal. Saudi leaders were nearing a normalization agreement with Israel in 2023, just before the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7 of that year. Since then, however, talks have been paused. Saudi leaders have said they would want guarantees of an eventual Palestinian state, and Saudi public opinion has soured toward Israel because of its handling of Gaza. Any nuclear deal tied to Saudi-Israel diplomatic breakthroughs has seemed remote."The nuclear technology deal itself has generated controversy in Congress. Lawmakers worry that expanding enrichment programs across multiple nations increases proliferation risks and could eventually result in more countries possessing nuclear weapons capabilities.Trump's sudden new condition transforms an already contentious agreement into a political landmine—potentially derailing both the nuclear deal and his broader Middle East diplomatic agenda.

'Resign!' Dem rains hell on Trump official over 'wrong' answers on troop casualties

07/22/26 5:32 PM

A fight erupted on Capitol Hill Wednesday when U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz reported a wounded-troop count that enraged Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA). Waltz faced questions about fatalities linked to daily strikes in Iran during a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing. Eighteen U.S. service members have been reported killed and 447 wounded — including a third soldier from a July 17 Iranian missile strike in Jordan whose death the Pentagon has not yet formally confirmed, according to KCRA. That death toll hung over the hearing room when Lieu opened his questioning."How many U.S. troops have been wounded in the Iran war?" Lieu asked."My understanding from the Defense Department's latest numbers is over a hundred," Waltz replied."That number is wrong," Lieu fired back.Lieu cited the Defense Casualty Analysis System — the Pentagon's own database tracking casualties for Congress and the president — putting the wounded count at 482. CBS News reported the system has lagged events by days or weeks throughout the war.Lieu then referenced Waltz's previous position as national security adviser, which he lost after accidentally adding The Atlantic's editor-in-chief to a Signal chat discussing imminent military strikes."The reason you are here today and in your position is because you were fired by the president from your former position as national security adviser," Lieu said."The president never said a negative word about me!" Waltz shot back.Lieu moved on to the war itself. Trump declared on March 16 that Iran's military was "literally obliterated," according to PolitiFact. Lieu wanted to know how that squared with the body count."You need to explain to the American people how an Iranian military that's been purportedly obliterated killed 18 U.S. service members and wounded 482 U.S. service members," Lieu said."The Iranian Navy, Air Force, air defense system, and industrial capacity have been massively damaged, if not completely ineffective," Waltz replied."[U.S. troops] are exposed right now in the Middle East — repeatedly being exposed to Iranian missiles!" Lieu pressed. "You should be ashamed! You don't know basic facts!" "Because it's not our problem!" Waltz replied."You should resign! You don't even care about the number of U.S. troops that were wounded!" Lieu said.A Republican colleague moved to have Lieu's words stricken from the record, calling him out for dishonoring "the distinguished ambassador.""He lied to Congress!" Lieu said. "November is coming for you and this administration!"

'Swinging recklessly': WSJ slams Trump's 'senseless' attack on Canada

07/22/26 12:04 AM

The conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board was none too happy about President Donald Trump's latest "senseless" tariff order — this time a 50 percent punitive attack on Canada for perceived unjust trade practices.The president has tried multiple times to issue broad-based tariffs around the world, which federal courts have slapped down. This also comes as Trump caused international tension by delaying opening of a critical international bridge set to boost trade between the U.S. and Canada.'The White House on Monday exhumed Section 338 of the 1930 Tariff Act to impose 50% tariffs on hundreds of Canadian goods, including hockey sticks, honey, beer, down feathers, fishing rods and golf clubs," wrote the board, noting that they don't take effect for another month — a clear indication Trump wants to use them as a bargaining chip.This power, which comes from the so-called "Smoot-Hawley Tariff" often blamed for exacerbating the Great Depression, "was intended to let the President retaliate against countries that impose tariffs on the U.S. Mr. Trump is using the law to punish Canada for retaliating against his tariffs. His tariff order cites Canada’s 25% tariffs on U.S. cars that exceed certain quotas, which were a response to Mr. Trump’s 25% duties on motor vehicles and parts."These moves are colossally counterproductive to the economy of both countries, the board lamented: For instance, "A study in March found that the tourist dropoff has cost between 14,000 and 42,000 jobs in the U.S. markets most exposed to Canadian tourism. Northern border areas have also suffered from a decline in cross-border trade."The American people are already running out of patience, the board warned."The more Mr. Trump keeps swinging recklessly, the more Americans are likely to think there’s only madness in his tariff methods," the board wrote.

'To be honest': MAGA lawmaker sparks fury with shrugging statement on dead troops

07/22/26 5:56 PM

A Republican's shrugging comments about fallen U.S. military service members were criticized on Wednesday amid growing unpopularity over the Iran war.Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) was talking to CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer about recent polling showing that Americans are opposed to the conflict, despite President Donald Trump's remarks that Americans are in favor of the war. Trump had defended the military strikes before heading to the dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base for four military members killed in recent days.Journalist Aaron Rupar shared the exchange on X and quoted Gimenez in a manner highlighting a significant word in his statement: "My heart goes out to the families of those four, but ... "That "but" rankled with Rupar's readers. Patric Reynolds, comic book artist and progressive political commentator, wrote, "There should be no 'but' after that,"Liberal political commentator Trish Crawford raised her concerns over what Gimenez said."I’ve started to view all of the words in a sentence that come before 'but' as untruthful" Crawford wrote on Bluesky. "The heart of the statement comes after."Giminez followed up his comment by explaining, "At the end I think the best way to honor the dead... is to make sure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon. Anything short of that, for me, is failure, to be honest with you." Georgetown professor and political commentator Steve Vladeck took a sarcastic tone when he quoted a famously inaccurate speech in the movie "Animal House" meant to inspire drunken frat boys to sabotage a parade. "Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?'” he wroteMason, a political commentator and user who self-describes as a veteran and an independent, wrote on X."We just need a Hiroshima or a Nagasaki, right Carlos?" he wrote.BLITZER: How do you explain the disconnect between what the president says and how Americans feel according to almost all of these most recent polls?REP. CARLOS GIMENEZ: Prior to World War 2, 85% of Americans were not in favor of entering that war, and then it all changes pic.twitter.com/iwmzGQStEk— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 22, 2026

'Words in their dead mouths': Rage mounts as Trump accused of exploiting fallen soldiers

07/22/26 4:50 PM

President Donald Trump's response to the deaths of four soldiers killed in the Iran war stunned the nation Wednesday. Trump delivered his disturbing commentary on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland before departing to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for the dignified transfer to honor the soldiers who lost their lives."All of them said very strongly, 'We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon,'" Trump said. "They won't have a nuclear weapon, so we're going to honor them."Outrage erupted almost immediately.Author David Simon told his 65,000 followers on Bluesky he felt Trump had disrespected the fallen troops."It's one thing to honor the sacrifice of fallen service members. And it's common rhetoric to declare that they died for a worthy cause," Simon wrote. "It's the Platonic ideal of malignant narcissism to just stand there shamelessly and put words into their dead mouths."Simon was not alone in his fury at Trump's claim. Entrepreneur and former Obama administration official Brandon Friedman responded, "He actually outdid himself today. This is obscene."Sanho Tree, a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, argued Trump was effectively "using dead soldiers as sock puppets." Andrew Lawrence, deputy director of rapid response at Media Matters, responded with shock. "Well this is easily the most detestable thing a president has ever said about U.S. troops he had killed," Lawrence wrote.It's one thing to honor the sacrifice of fallen service members. And it's common rhetoric to declare that they died for a worthy cause. It's the Platonic ideal of malignant narcissism to just stand there shamelessly and put words into their dead mouths.[image or embed]— David Simon (@audacityofdespair.bsky.social) July 22, 2026 at 8:10 AM

11 dead, 50 missing after landslide in southwestern China

07/23/26 12:37 PM

Teams searching the rubble of last week's landslide in Chongqing, China, have found three more bodies, bringing the death toll to 11

11 Of The Best Things To Do In London This Mother's Day And Paddy's Day Weekend

03/17/23 5:02 PM

It's a Mother's Day *and* Paddy's Day double whammy, people.View Entire Post ›