"Cannot Support Iran War In Good Conscience": Top Trump Official Resigns

03/17/26 8:11 PM

Joseph Kent, the head of the United States' National Counterterrorism Center, has resigned from his position over the US-Israel war against Iran.

"Weak On Security, Good Thing He's Out": Trump On Top Official's Exit Over Iran

03/17/26 10:11 PM

US President Donald Trump said that it was a "good thing" that Joseph Kent,the head of the National Counterterrorism Centre, resigned because he claimed that Iran was not a threat.

'A new level of unhinged' Trump baffles with World Baseball Classic take

03/17/26 3:41 AM

President Donald Trump issued a baffling statement after the World Baseball Classic (WBC) semifinal game on Monday night. Venezuela and Italy faced off in the WBC semifinal, with Venezuela besting the Italians 4-2. After the game, Trump took to Truth Social to express his pleasure with the outcome. "Wow! Venezuela defeated Italy tonight, 4-2, in the WBC (Baseball!) Semifinal. They are looking really great. Good things are happening to Venezuela lately!" Trump posted. "I wonder what this magic is all about? STATEHOOD, #51, ANYONE?"Trump's comments came at a time when his administration is facing increased scrutiny for its foreign policy. Earlier this year, the Trump administration arrested Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro on gun charges and brought him to New York to face trial. The Trump administration has also bombed multiple alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, killing more than 130 people, without providing evidence that the boats were connected to the drug trade. Political analysts and observers shared their reactions on social media. "Delusional," political commentator Intare Batinya posted on X. "Venezuela is a sovereign nation, not a potential 51st state. Stick to golf and leave the geopolitical magic to the experts. Annexing a country over a baseball game is a new level of unhinged.""This guy is so obsessed with making it about him that he might show up to Miami tomorrow with Maduro in chains," writer Matt Burnell posted on X. The U.S. and Venezuela will play in the WBC final on Tuesday.

'All eyes are on body language': Awkward meeting expected to reveal Trump and Vance rift

03/16/26 4:26 PM

President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance will appear in public on Monday, which is expected to expose the reported split between the two men and how they view the war in Iran. Trump and Vance have not been seen together much since the United States began its joint military operation with Israel in the war with Iran, according to The Swamp, The Daily Beast's Substack. The last appearance the two apparently made was with the entire Trump administration Cabinet on March 7 at Dover Air Force Base, during the dignified transfer of six slain U.S. Army service members who were killed in Kuwait. "All eyes are on the body language between Trump and his vice president this afternoon as they appear in public together for the first time since the war with Iran began more than two weeks ago," The Swamp reported. "It’s the worst-kept secret in Washington that Vice President J.D. Vance isn't the biggest fan of the war, but this should offer a glimpse into how Trump really feels about it," according to The Swamp. "Vance has been tiptoeing around the subject of the war, but it’s going to be tricky to pull off to the president’s face."Last week, Vance dodged a direct question about how he viewed the military action in the Middle East. Vance was taking questions from reporters following his speech in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, where he campaigned for GOP candidates in a district Republicans were hoping to flip. Associated Press reporter Bill Barrow asked the vice president what advice he gave the president regarding military strikes and the economic fallout, including surging gas prices."Did you express any concerns like those you've expressed in the past on the possibility of those extended wars?" Barrow asked.Vance refused to directly say whether he supports the joint U.S.-Israeli war in Iran."We're in the Situation Room, where you can't even take your iPod in there, or your AirPods, I guess what they're called, you can't take your iPhone in there, you can't take anything in there — because it is the most classified space anywhere in the world," Vance said."And I sit there with Pete Hegseth, and Gen. Caine, and Marco Rubio, and the entire White House team, and the president and I, and the entire senior team are talking about the options and about what we need to do and how we must best protect the American people," Vance added. "I hate to disappoint you, but I'm not going to show up here in front of God and everybody else and tell you exactly what I said in that classified room partially because I don't wanna go to prison and partially because I think it's important for the President of the United States to talk to his advisors without those advisors running their mouth to the American media."

'Greenland was a breaking point': EU allies say Trump dug his own grave

03/17/26 4:59 PM

CNN anchor Jim Sciutto reported that European Union (EU) officials had turned their backs on President Donald Trump in Iran after he poisoned the well by trying to take over Greenland and threatening the NATO alliance.In an angry Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump said NATO countries "don't want to get involved with our Military Operation against the Terrorist Regime of Iran.""We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need," the U.S. president complained. "Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer 'need,' or desire, the NATO Countries' assistance — WE NEVER DID!""WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!"Sciutto said he had spoken to EU officials about the president's accusations."Many already doubted Trump's commitment to their defense alliances, informed by his public questioning of Article 5, threats to reduce U.S. deployments, and generally dismissive rhetoric," Sciutto wrote on X. "His attempts to take Greenland were a breaking point for many. Some will see this not so much as punishment for failing to join the Iran war, but as his honest thoughts about alliances in general."

'He could cut Vance's head off': Ex-GOP strategist hints at Trump's next big move

03/16/26 10:14 PM

Ex-GOP strategist Rick Wilson on Monday predicted what he thinks will be next for President Donald Trump as talks about who will succeed him in 2028 have heightened and questions over whether it will be Vice President JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Wilson was talking to MS NOW host Katy Tur about the dilemma Vance, who has been vocal about his stance against long wars in the Middle East, was facing. Vance has not publicly said he was opposed to the Iran war; however, reports have surfaced about his views on the conflict as Trump has shifted his messaging to his MAGA coalition about the military strikes. "I think it's been notable, Rick, that we've seen so little of JD Vance lately," Tur said. "He's got a thing with the president that we might have to dip into at some point during this conversation, but other than that, he has been out of sight."The last appearance the two apparently made was with the entire Trump administration Cabinet on March 7 at Dover Air Force Base, during the dignified transfer of six slain U.S. Army service members who were killed in Kuwait."I don't believe that's a coincidence, Katy," Wilson said. "I think that is a feature, not a bug, of the Vance position right now. He does come from a part of the party or the part of the MAGA movement that is very anti-interventionist. And they built the 'Peace President' illusion around Trump in 2024. And Vance put the bit in his teeth and ran with it. But now he's got a president who has launched a singularly reckless effort in the Persian Gulf that will end up sending American troops to fight and die in a pointless war. And I think Vance is very uncomfortable right now."Trump has appeared to favor Rubio as his potential successor, according to reports. "Marco's been getting a lot of praise," Wilson said. "Vance has been, you know, hiding in the tall grass. What goes on today in this presser with Trump could go either way. He could cut Vance's head off right there in public. And I wouldn't, if I was Vance, you know, act without getting a food taster going forward, if Trump really digs in on this war."Last week, Vance dodged a direct question about how he viewed the military action in the Middle East. Vance was taking questions from reporters following his speech in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, where he campaigned for GOP candidates in a district Republicans were hoping to flip. Associated Press reporter Bill Barrow asked the vice president what advice he gave the president regarding military strikes and the economic fallout, including surging gas prices."Did you express any concerns like those you've expressed in the past on the possibility of those extended wars?" Barrow asked.Vance refused to directly say whether he supports the joint U.S.-Israeli war in Iran."We're in the Situation Room, where you can't even take your iPod in there, or your AirPods, I guess what they're called, you can't take your iPhone in there, you can't take anything in there — because it is the most classified space anywhere in the world," Vance said."And I sit there with Pete Hegseth, and Gen. Caine, and Marco Rubio, and the entire White House team, and the president and I, and the entire senior team are talking about the options and about what we need to do and how we must best protect the American people," Vance added."I hate to disappoint you, but I'm not going to show up here in front of God and everybody else and tell you exactly what I said in that classified room partially because I don't wanna go to prison and partially because I think it's important for the President of the United States to talk to his advisors without those advisors running their mouth to the American media."

'Insulting and laughable': Leavitt rips 'false claims' after official quits over Iran

03/17/26 4:03 PM

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt fired back at U.S. intelligence official Joe Kent after he resigned over President Donald Trump's war with Iran."After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today," Kent wrote Tuesday in a post on X.Kent insisted in his resignation letter that Iran had not posed an imminent threat."This is the same false claim that Democrats and some in the liberal media have been repeating over and over," Leavitt replied later on Tuesday. "Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism.""The Iranian regime is evil. It proudly killed Americans, waged war against our country, and openly threatened us all the way up to the launch of Operation Epic Fury," she continued. "The President, through his top negotiators, gave the regime every single possible opportunity to abandon this unacceptable course by permanently giving up their nuclear ambitions in exchange for sanctions relief, free nuclear fuel, and potential economic partnerships with our country.""President Trump ultimately made the determination that a joint attack with Israel would greatly reduce the risk to American lives that would come from a first strike by the terrorist Iranian regime and address this imminent threat to America's national security interests."Leavitt also blasted Kent for suggesting that Iran had pushed him into the war."The Commander-in-Chief determines what does and does not constitute a threat, because he is the one constitutionally empowered to do so - and because the American people went to the ballot box and entrusted him and him alone to make such final judgments," she said. "And finally, the absurd allegation that President Trump made this decision based on the influence of others, even foreign countries, is both insulting and laughable. President Trump has been remarkably consistent and has said for DECADES that Iran can NEVER possess a nuclear weapon.""As someone who actually witnesses President Trump's decision-making process on a daily basis, I can attest to the fact that he is always looking to do what's in the best interest of the United States of America — period," she added.Trump was later asked about Kent's resignation."It's a good thing that he's out," the president said. "We don't want those people."

'It's an insult': MAGA in tailspin as Trump's terror chief quits over Iran war

03/17/26 2:45 PM

MAGA followers were enraged Tuesday after Joe Kent, head of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned in protest over the U.S. war in Iran. Kent, a longtime MAGA ally of President Donald Trump who was appointed by him, shared his public statement and rejection of the conflict in the Middle East. This was the first time an administration official had rebuked the military action and spoken out against it. MAGA loyalists had seething responses to Kent's announcement: "Gold Star wife here. My husband didn’t die for Israel. He died because this war has been targeting Americans for decades. Long before most people ever started paying attention. We didn’t suddenly stumble into this because of Israel. Our service members have been in the crosshairs of Iranian-backed terror networks for years. That’s the reality families like mine have lived with. So spare me the talking point that this is 'Israel’s war.' Some of us have already paid for it in American blood," Sharrell Anne, who self-describes as "America First" wrote in a post on X. "Very disappointing from you. It's an insult to Trump to imply he has no agency and no ability to resist pressure from anyone, including Israel," Jon Murray, who shares pro-MAGA content and commentary, wrote on X. "'Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation' ok good you left because seems like you're an ignorant ...," Samuel Cardillo, who frequently shares MAGA talking points, wrote on X. “'Without getting us drawn into never-ending wars.' It’s been 3 weeks lol," conservative commentator and attorney Matt Bilinsky wrote on X."Joe Kent is a crazed egomaniac who was often at the center of national security leaks, while rarely (never?) producing any actual work. He spent all of his time working to subvert the chain of command and undermine the President of the United States. This isn’t some principled resignation—he just wanted to make a splash before getting canned. What a loser," Taylor Budowich, former deputy White House chief of staff and cabinet secretary to Trump, wrote on X.

'Lindsey Graham is going down': Charlie Kirk Show declares war on 'Lady Graham'

03/16/26 6:51 PM

Charlie Kirk Show hosts Blake Neff and Andrew Kolvet pressed for the defeat of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), an ally of President Donald Trump, by hosting his two opponents, Paul Davis and Mark Lynch."I have been very loud about my criticisms of Sen. Lindsey Graham, the neocon warmonger from South Carolina, who has just seemed to stay in office for a very long time," Kolvet said on Monday's broadcast. "Charlie Kirk — Charlie always called him Lady Graham, as he called it... I'm pretty sure that's what a lot of people call him."The host pointed to a 2023 quote from Kirk: "The base is done with neocons who want to spend our money to bomb faraway lands.""Feels very relevant to our current moment," Kolvet told Davis. "And I'm saying, as long as it's not Lindsey Graham, I'm excited. That's how I feel right now.""Well, as of today, Lindsey Graham's going down," Davis replied. "He's way below 50%. In South Carolina, we have a runoff state. So top two people going to runoff two weeks later.""I'm a guy who's been MAGA from the jump," he continued. "I helped President Trump as a volunteer get elected. I served in his first term. I was what they call one of his killers."For his part, Lynch criticized Graham for pledging to send South Carolinians to fight in the Middle East."Well, the people in South Carolina have said, 57% of them back when we polled in May, that they will not vote for Lindsey Graham again," Lynch explained. "They love Trump. They know Trump endorsed Lindsey, but that endorsement won't save him this time.""You're not taking our children over there for your bloodlust financial gain," he added. "And we say no to that in South Carolina, and enough's enough. We've had enough in Lindsey.""I think that's the bloodlust really resonates," Kolvet remarked. "It resonates with me. It resonates, I'm sure, with Blake. And of course, it resonated with Charlie."

'Open split' in White House as insiders spill exasperation with Trump

03/16/26 12:13 PM

There is growing frustration within Donald Trump’s White House over the way the war in Iran is going, and insiders are going behind the president’s back to call reporters and complain about him.Reporting on MS NOW’s "Morning Joe," journalist Katty Kay reported that European leaders have been telling the president he missed the perfect opportunity to declare victory in Iran and dial back the attacks.“I was told by a senior European intelligence official this weekend that the best time for Donald Trump to have tried to call victory and end early was actually last Monday or Tuesday, and that now it's getting harder for him to do that,” she told the panel. “And you're seeing these splits begin to appear in the White House quite openly in public,” she elaborated. “I mean, David Sachs, the White House advisor, was on the ‘All-In’ podcast over the weekend, saying it out loud that there are two factions.”“Now there is a faction that is pushing the president to escalate, and there is a faction that is pushing the president to de-escalate. The tech bros and the vice president seem to be in the latter camp,” she continued. “But the idea that there are two camps in the White House and that one of those camps is now openly talking about this in public and openly reaching out to journalists to say, we are trying to get the president to find an off ramp, but there are people who are pushing the president to escalate much further, significantly further.” - YouTube youtu.be