**Can the U.S. end its war with Iran? **Donald Trump doesn’t seem to think so. You can tell, because now he’s predicting a peace deal… right after the midterms.
When will the war with Iran end? President Donald Trump initially claimed it would only last four weeks. His new assessment: at least 35 weeks. If he’s lucky.
Trump took his aimless advocacy for his muddled war on the road to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City today, where he boasted about decimating Iran’s military. He also claimed that America has
tonsof missiles left, despite media reports about thedwindling stockpile.
Trump’s most remarkable prediction, however, was that he claims Iran will want to make a deal after the midterms wrap up in November. It’s arguably the clearest sign yet that Trump doesn’t have a plan to end the war anytime soon. He’s asking voters to overlook the total lack of results — presumably because he knows there won’t be any.
“I believe we’ll make a deal right after the election, because it doesn’t make sense for them not to,” Trump explained. “They’re waiting to see how I do in the midterm election. What they don’t realize is that I’m not running.”
There’s little reason for Iran to end this war right now. The country’s military appears to still be effectively blocking tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, causing oil prices to soar and boosting global inflation. Sure, Iran’s economy is suffering, too. But its leaders seem to think that their ability to ratchet up America’s economic pain is the greatest leverage they have. Still, Trump keeps talking as if he hasn’t lost control of the situation, and threatening an entire country with total destruction.
“I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before?” Trump said during his speech. “Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again? Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations?”
**Here’s the thing: **There’s currently no end in sight for this war — before or after the midterms. It could easily get worse.
Trump’s team has been toying with the idea of striking Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. Why? Saudi Arabia has been a key U.S. ally during its war with Iran, and the kingdom’s crown prince has
privately pleadedwith Trump to help fight the militants, who recently seized a critical Saudi oil route.
Trump
reportedly instructedthe Pentagon to prepare to strike the Houthis a few days ago, before calling it off. If Trump changes his mind again and launches attacks, he risks straining the global oil supply even further and becoming even more entrenched in the Middle East.
Trump may have to cut his losses in Iran, or risk descending even further into unpopularity. Almost two-thirds of Americans say that the U.S. is losing the war,
according to a new poll. Only 60 percent of Republicans approve of Trump’s handling of the conflict, down from 73 percent in March.
More high-profile Republicans came out against the war in Iran in the past 24 hours. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), who’s locked in a tough race against Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed for Senate,
𝕏said in a videothat “the war in Iran needs to end to bring costs down.” Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), who’s running for Senate against Josh Turek,also calledfor an “immediate end” to the conflict. Both GOP candidates are trailing inrecentpolls.
**So Trump thinks the Iranian regime will be easier to persuade than some members of his own party? **Good luck with that one.
A bombshell report about an FBI probe connected with Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) might just be a major boon for her Democratic opponent.
Right before Donald Trump took office, the FBI was preparing to launch a sweeping investigation into pay-to-play schemes involving members of Congress and donors seeking business with the government, according to ProPublica.
And the bureau was circling around Collins. Years earlier, Martin Kao, the CEO of defense contractor Navatek, told the head of the Collins super PAC he would send the group a large payment through a shell company — and, in exchange, he wanted the senator to guarantee that Navatek would receive millions of dollars in government funding, the outlet reported.
Kao later told Navatek executives that Collins, a powerful member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, had committed to securing $32 million in contracts for Navatek, according to an internal email cited by ProPublica.
The story is based largely on the defense contractor’s interviews with FBI agents and federal prosecutors. Kao divulged the details, which included a plot to influence other politicians, in hopes of receiving less prison time, ProPublica wrote. The investigation died when Trump took office, and no one working for Collins or anyone at the super PAC was ever charged.
Collins’ team denied any wrongdoing. “ProPublica took the word of someone who pled guilty to five counts of money laundering, three counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, and making false submissions to the FEC,” the senator’s deputy chief of staff 𝕏tweeted.
FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson told ProPublica that the agency had investigated claims against Collins years ago “and ultimately found nothing implicating Senator Collins or Senator Collins’ campaign. Any suggestion otherwise is totally false.”
Unnamed officials told the * New York Times* that agents were unable to find much evidence to corroborate Kao’s claims. But they also acknowledged that more might have surfaced if the probe had continued.
Still, the scandal could very well tip the scales in favor of her Democratic opponent, Troy Jackson. Polls show them locked in a tight race, which could help decide which party wins control of the Senate in November.
Jackson’s team is already taking advantage of the moment. “This is corruption of the highest order,” he wrote in a statement. “We deserve answers about every contract and every conversation that Collins and her team facilitated on the backs of taxpayers. The jig is up.”
** Vice President JD Vance announced that the administration** is taking 760,000 people off their Affordable Care Act coverage, claiming that they were fraudulently enrolled. Officials will investigate another 419,000 enrollees for possible fraud, Vance said. The moves could save $2.2 billion, according to administration officials. But how much confidence should we really have that this administration isn’t booting some people who
** Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the** White House’s ban on several media outlets. “We’re not closing CNN,” Rubio told NBC News. “There aren’t a bunch of police officers or soldiers kicking down the doors of MSNBC or MS NOW, whatever it’s called, and arresting people and unplugging it from the grid. They’re just not allowed to work from the workspace at the White House.”
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** The Crooked Con 2026 lineup is HERE!!! **Even better news: Early bird pricing is still available. Get your tickets now! The
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** Online voting for the annual Fat Bear Week contest** went live today. It’s the 12th year that the public will get to choose which of 16 bears is the fattest of ‘em all. The question on everyone’s mind: Will Chunk, who weighs in around 1,200 pounds, win for a second year in a row?
