Caveat Emperor

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with emphasis on the “cave”

Attribution: Trump caves again by Dave Whamond, Canada, PoliticalCartoons.com

[Dave Whamonds work has appeared in magazines and newspapers including Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated, Readers Digest and many more. He has won 7 Silver Reubens from the National Cartoonists Society and several book awards. Dave has written and/or illustrated over 50 books and his syndicated comic, “Reality Check”, has appeared in newspapers since 1995.]

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74 thoughts on “Caveat Emperor”

  3. Georgia House Race

    The Republican base overwhelmingly stayed home.

    Republican Clayton Fuller won this seat with 68,227 votes—a figure that confirms the base wasn’t just resting; it was practically in a coma. Fuller’s final tally is roughly 40% of MTG’s 2022 midterm turnout and a dismal 28% of her 2024 presidential haul.

    ELECTIONS PAST (MTG’S HAUL):
    2024 (Presidential Year): 243,446 votes
    2022 (Midterm Year): 170,162 votes
    2020 (Presidential Year): 229,827 votes

    FINAL RESULTS (APRIL 7, 2026):
    Clayton Fuller (R): 68,227 (57.2%)
    Shawn Harris (D): 51,145 (42.8%)

    The “Trump endorsement” carried the day, but the math shows a massive enthusiasm gap for the replacement act. Fuller heads to D.C. to finish a term that apparently most of the district forgot was even up for grabs.

    — Silas Gemini


  5. Today was Trump’s deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz or get bombed, he posted this morning that if they didn’t agree that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” luckily it was Taco Tuesday and he decided not to drop the chalupa for at least another two weeks, no one seems to have any idea what his plan is, some prominent members of the nutcase community are calling for him to be removed via the 25th Amendment, Lindsey Graham stopped by Hannity to give the war his full support, Bill Gates and Howard Lutnick have been asked to testify before the House Oversight Committee about Epstein, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche talked about whether or not he would like the job full-time, Trump talked to the crew of Artemis II and Congressman Tim Burchett told TMZ that he has seen proof of alien life, and JD Vance has been sharpening his speaking and comedy skills!

  6. What Now?

    Covering the Coverage

    • [Progressive / Mainstream]: US and Iran agree to provisional ceasefire as Tehran says it will reopen strait of Hormuz – The Guardian
    • [Analytical Explainer]: Iran war ceasefire announcement – what we know so far – The Guardian
    • [International Mainstream]: Trump and Iran agreed to a ceasefire. What happens now? – CBC
    • [Independent / Foreign]: US-Iran Ceasefire: Tehran says it has ‘forced’ Trump to accept its ‘10-point plan’ – LiveMint
    • [Financial Analysis]: Ceasefire relief: what the US-Iran truce means for oil, equities – IG
    • [Asian Geopolitical]: Iran deal a ‘total and complete victory’ for US: Trump – Channel News Asia
    • [Global Economic]: Trump terms Iran deal a ‘total and complete’ victory; says China got Tehran to ‘negotiate’ – The Economic Times
    • [Cable News]: [Ongoing] Trump Considering 45-Day Ceasefire In War With Iran – CNN
    • [Global Audio]: Trump lashes out at Israel and Iran for violating the ceasefire – BBC
    • [Legal Analysis]: If Trump commits war crimes in Iran, he can be prosecuted – The Guardian

    Silas Gemini

  7. stephen on other news

    The crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission completed their historic journey around the moon, President Trump threatened to destroy an entire civilization, and a top official at FEMA has a wild story about teleporting to a Waffle House.

  8. The two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, struck in exchange for Tehran reopening the Strait of Hormuz, contains a clause that has received far less attention than the diplomatic drama surrounding it. A regional official confirmed to the Associated Press on Tuesday that the agreement allows Iran and Oman to impose fees on ships transiting the strait.

    Two senior Iranian officials told New York Times: the proposal included a fee of roughly ₹18.5 crore ($2 million) per ship, to be split between Iran and Oman, which sits on the opposite shore of the strait.

    Proposed $2 million Hormuz transit fee
    At the centre of the ceasefire proposal is a reported charge of approximately $2 million per vessel passing through the strait. Iran’s portion of the proceeds would reportedly be used to fund reconstruction efforts rather than seek direct financial compensation from the US or its allies.

    In exchange, Tehran would lift its de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, restoring the flow of oil and natural gas through a route that typically carries around one-fifth of global energy shipments. [continues]

  9. In Hungary just now, JD called this a “fragile truce” — no declaration of victory. And his team is eagerly telling reporters how much he opposed the war in advance. He also just called Trump “impatient”, and not in a good way. Cue the 25th?

  10. In yesterday’s Digital Diner, we took a break from the dumpster fire for Autism Acceptance Month and a recorded message from Katie’s son on how to simply be kind and awesome 🎧

  14. It ain’t happening only in Georgia. NYT

    Democrats Romp Again in a Wisconsin Court Election
    The last two Wisconsin Supreme Court elections became nationalized contests that shattered fund-raising records. First $50 million, then $100 million. Mr. Trump endorsed, and Elon Musk visited to campaign.

    This time, Republicans barely put up a fight — and the liberal candidate won by even more. The narrative lives on that Wisconsin off-cycle elections are a bad bet for Republicans.
    […]
    A Blue Wave Lands in Crucial Waukesha County

    Judge Taylor’s 20-point triumph reshaped Wisconsin’s election night map. All across the state, counties that had voted for Mr. Trump by wide margins turned blue on Tuesday.

    Perhaps most worrisome for Republicans was the erosion of their votes in Waukesha County, for generations the party’s largest source of votes and a place where, as recently as 2012, Mitt Romney won 67 percent of the vote.

    Judge Lazar was on track for just 54 percent — four points less even than the conservative Supreme Court candidate took a year ago when he was trounced statewide. The math in Wisconsin is simple: Given Democratic strength in Milwaukee and Madison, a Republican candidate must deliver a big margin in Waukesha and other vote-rich conservative suburbs to have any shot at winning statewide.

    Democrats have been organizing in the county for years, hoping to flip some key seats in the State Legislature there this fall in their effort to win control of the State Assembly and Senate for the first time since 2010.

    And in the mayoral race in the City of Waukesha, Alicia Halvensleben, a Democrat on the city’s Common Council, defeated State Representative Scott Allen, a Republican, giving Democrats a triumph in the longtime G.O.P. stronghold.
    [continues]

    There just hasn’t been much, if any, good news for Republicans in the primary and special elections leading into this election season. Here’s to hoping these races foreshadow what we’ll see in November.

  16. Trump folded on Iran so hard that Alex Jones is out here screaming for the 25th Amendment. When the fringe conspiracy guys become the constitutional crisis managers, the simulation is officially broken. Enjoy the collapse in 30 seconds. Join the Digital Diner at 11am ET.

  19. Craig – that Georgia result is continuing confirmation that the country is doing a shift left, and a serious issue with voter turnout from all parties.

  23. just read an article on Buc-ees and it included photos of the store and patrons and i thought “none of those people are ever voting Dem”

    two Americas

  24. Soooo, unconditional surrender, is it? Doesn’t appear that way. NYT Apologies in advance for the length of this.

    Iran releases a 10-point proposal for talks, but it’s different from the one Trump saw.
    Iran publicly released on Wednesday what it said was the 10-point framework for talks that President Trump described as “a workable basis on which to negotiate” an end to the war. Much of it consisted of maximalist demands that look difficult, if not impossible, to reconcile with U.S. aims.

    A White House official said the points do not match what Mr. Trump was referring to. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal White House discussions.

    Iran released its version of the proposal the morning after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week cease-fire, and calls for American troops to leave the region, reasserts Iran’s control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz and maintains Iran’s right to nuclear enrichment.

    Many of these demands are likely to conflict with a 15-point proposal U.S. mediators laid out last month.

    That proposal was never made public, but officials briefed on the plan, who spoke to The New York Times on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details, said it addressed Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs, as well as maritime trade. U.S. mediators had pushed in previous negotiations for limiting the range of Iran’s ballistic missiles and halting all of Iran’s nuclear enrichment.

    Mr. Trump on Wednesday appeared to refer to that U.S. plan, writing on social media that “many of the 15 points have already been agreed to,” and repeating his insistence on “no enrichment of Uranium.”

    Here are the 10 points of Iran’s proposal, according to Iran’s official news agency, IRNA, and where these demands might conflict with Washington’s aims:

    1. An American guarantee of nonaggression with Iran.
    In the earlier, 15-point proposal offered by U.S. mediators, only a cease-fire was on offer. Iranian officials want to ensure a formalized end to hostilities that is more permanent.

    This is one of the main demands, according to interviews with regional security figures and a former Iranian diplomat, that Iran will focus on.

    2. Iran maintains control of the Strait of Hormuz.
    This is likely to become a major sticking point. Iran’s ability to strangle traffic through the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes, has wreaked havoc on the global economy. It is very unlikely that Washington or Iran’s Gulf Arab neighbors would accept this.

    3. Ending the regional war on all fronts, including against Iran’s ally, Hezbollah, in Lebanon.
    This could become an eventual point of alignment.

    The United States and Israel want Tehran to curb an alliance of militias it has fostered across the region, which it calls the “Axis of Resistance.” Many of those militias have come to Iran’s defense in the current war, launching drone and missile attacks on U.S. targets, Gulf countries and Israel. Among them was the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, to which Israel responded with a major offensive. Israel then announced plans to occupy parts of southern Lebanon.

    Israel says the current cease-fire does not apply to its operations in Lebanon. Whether the Lebanon front can be brought into a longer-term deal is an open question.

    4. Withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from all bases and positions in the region.
    U.S. forces maintain bases across Gulf Arab states, Israel and Iraq. It is difficult to conceive of a scenario in which the U.S. would accept this.

    5. Reparations to Iran for war damages.
    Iran has sustained a devastating level of destruction, not only to its military sites but to critical infrastructure, including pharmaceutical and steel plants, bridges, universities and energy facilities.

    There has been no indication that U.S. officials would consider offering compensation.

    6. Acceptance of Iran’s right to nuclear enrichment.
    This is diametrically opposed to Mr. Trump’s most recent statements, in which he has again called for zero enrichment of uranium.

    Some regional diplomats have aimed to soften U.S. demands, suggesting Tehran could instead agree not to actively conduct enrichment, or to limit enrichment to a symbolic amount at the lowest threshold for civilian purposes. It remains unclear whether Washington would accept that.

    7. Lifting all primary sanctions on Iran.
    Washington has imposed on Iran different forms of primary sanctions, or direct restrictions on financial transactions, since the founding of the Islamic Republic after the 1979 revolution.

    In previous negotiations, mediators aimed for U.S. officials to lift some sanctions in exchange for concessions on Iran’s nuclear program. Mr. Trump’s own statement on Wednesday touched on the idea of offering “Tariff and Sanctions relief.”

    8. Lifting all secondary sanctions on Iran.
    In addition to its directly blocking trade with Iran, the United States also imposes sanctions that penalize other countries or non-American companies that do business with Iran.

    Like the point on primary sanctions, this part of the proposal would likely be negotiable depending on what Iran offers.

    9. Termination of all resolutions against Iran by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
    Last June, the U.N. nuclear watchdog passed a resolution against Iran for the first time in 20 years, saying that Iran was not complying with its nuclear nonproliferation obligations, a move Iran condemned as political.

    Washington cannot force the I.A.E.A to repeal its resolutions, but it could perhaps pressure allied countries to do this as part of a comprehensive deal with Iran.

    10. Termination of all United Nations Security Council resolutions against Iran.
    There have been several U.N. resolutions against Iran, particularly on the issue of nuclear proliferation. Last October, the United Nations reimposed sanctions on Iran, saying Iran was in breach of a 2015 deal to limit Iran’s nuclear enrichment.

    Washington could try to influence its allies to do this, but again, it would likely require a comprehensive agreement with Iran.

    If Iran sticks to its guns on Nos. 5 & 6, I don’t see how any deal will be reached as Dumbass (and his compliant Congress) won’t likely agree to any damages relief and Iran’s right to uranium enrichment is completely opposite of what Dumbass has been squawking about for the last 6 weeks.

  25. https://www.newsweek.com/russia-responds-trump-iran-war-ceasefire-crushing-defeat-11797709

    Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told Sputnik Radio on Wednesday, quoted by RIA news agency: “All the statements that were made about…being more aggressive, being more offensive, writing more on social media and ‘victory’—it’s just around the corner. Once again, this position has suffered a crushing defeat. So has the approach of such a one-track, aggressive, unprovoked attack.”

    Earlier Tuesday, along with China, Russia had vetoed a measure at the United Nations Security Council to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, arguing it would have given the U.S. and Israel “carte blanche for continued aggression.”
    The war has seen Russia’s oil profits soar. In the early weeks of the conflict, a report from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air estimated Moscow had raked in nearly $7 billion in fossil fuel revenues since U.S.-Israeli strikes had led to the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

    *Putin thought he’d be in and out of Ukraine in months, too.

  26. Today in the Diner…
    Trump 25th Amendment Rumors & MAGA Turnout Drop

    Trump blinks on Iran while 25th Amendment palace coup rumors swirl. Plus, MAGA voters ghost a Georgia election and Vance praises Orban’s Hungary.

    The billionaires might finally be pulling the plug. With Trump caving on Iran and the Pentagon turning into a circular firing squad courtesy of JD Vance and Pete Hegseth, the 25th Amendment chatter is graduating from whispers to a full-blown strategy. It is less about a principled stand and more about swapping in a puppet who follows orders without live-tweeting international crises. Add in a completely fabricated Easter miracle about a downed pilot, and the propaganda machine is officially sputtering on fumes.

    Meanwhile, the actual voters are sending a message by staying home. A MAGA stronghold in Georgia just saw a massive drop in Republican turnout, proving that outrage fatigue is real. We also dissect the slow-moving autocracy in Missouri, dig into Vance’s disturbing fanboy trip to Hungary, and debunk the great myth of William Howard Taft’s bathtub because, frankly, reality is weird enough right now without making things up.

    https://trailmix.cc/chat
    https://trailmix.cc
    https://trailmix.cc/alerts

    00:00 Intro
    00:15 Trump Caves on Iran & 25th Amendment Rumors
    06:01 Pentagon Palace Intrigue & Hegseth Firing Spree
    14:08 The Florida SAVE Act & Cindy Lauper
    16:16 JD Vance in Hungary Praising Orban Model
    20:26 Georgia MAGA Turnout Plummets
    23:59 Missouri Politicians Ignore Voter Initiatives
    28:15 The Fake Easter Pilot Rescue Narrative
    32:16 Supreme Court Reversals & The 9th Amendment
    34:00 Debunking Taft’s Bathtub Myth
    41:59 Cato Institute Destroys the Orban Autocracy
    50:24 Marco Rubio & International Crimes
    56:56 Usha Vance & IVF Speculation
    01:00:39 Extreme Mortman & King Charles Congress Visit

  28. https://www.hindustantimes.com/videos/hegseths-dirty-secret-satellite-firm-planet-labs-agrees-to-hide-extent-of-us-carnage-in-iran-101775386204744.html

    Planet Labs has announced an indefinite blackout on satellite imagery of Iran and the wider Middle East conflict zone after what it says was a U.S. government request to imagery providers.

    The company told customers it is retroactively withholding imagery from March 9, expanding an earlier 14-day publication delay, and shifting to a managed-access system under which images will only be released case by case for urgent, mission-critical, or public-interest needs.

  29. For Howard Mortman: This is only my “favorite” moment in the Senate because this seems to be indicative of how they view voters; their actual constituents are donors and lobbyists.

    Kyrsten Sinema giving a thumbs down and a lil’ curtsy when she voted NO on raising the federal minimum wage to $15.

    ***

    Sinema: I ‘don’t give a shit’ about backlash from anti-labor NLRB vote

    It’s more in line with the infamous curtsy she made when voting against raising the federal minimum wage to help working families, which earned her Phoenix New Times’ 2021 Best Dumbass Political Move award. Sinema never recovered politically from the self-inflicted gaffe, cornering herself with “I don’t give a shit” decisions that were met with disdain from Arizona voters.

    During her tenure, Sinema was a great ally to the country’s ultrawealthy and has reaped the luxurious rewards that have come with it. While she was a key swing vote during the first two years of Joe Biden’s presidency, she made a deal to keep a key tax loophole alive for private equity firms and hedge funds – the wealthiest of the wealthy. After that, such companies donated at least $526,000 to her campaign. She also was a top recipient of donations from the student loan, airline and credit union industries, according to OpenSecrets, a nonprofit that tracks campaign finances.

  30. Craig – My guess is that the IVF clinic was very busy, because KKKaroline Leavitt & Stephen Mitler’s wife are also pregnant. Gotta put on a show and remind women we are here to be breeders as the midterms draw near.

  31. Put your Sinema moment on Howard’s list, BiD. And Katie’s McCain thumbs down on killing Obamacare. Jack, I assume anytime Harry Truman opened his mouth would be on your list, if only CSPAN was around then.

    For an upcoming Extreme Mortman visit to the diner he is compiling a list of favorites for C-SPAN’s upcoming anniversary of televising Senate speeches:

  34. https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/04/08/trump-threatens-50-tariff-weapons-iran/6051775664667/

    Trump threatens 50% tariffs on those who supply Iran weapons

    Trump announced Wednesday morning that any country supplying weapons to Iran will get a 50% tariff on goods sold to the United States.

    *
    a) Love the headline “threatens”
    b) This lets Iran that the US plans to attack them, again. Remember, the US asked for 48 hour ceasefire this weekend and Iran nixed it. So, now Donny has given them two weeks to regroup. Allegedly. I don’t trust the US to uphold the ceasefire for the stated time.

  35. In different forms, but both Truman and Nixon supported some form of universal healthcare.

    Harry S. Truman (1945–1953)
    Approach: Advocated for a national, single-payer health insurance plan.
    Commonwealth Fund
    Commonwealth Fund
    Proposal: In 1945, Truman proposed a universal, federally run health insurance fund to be funded through payroll taxes, which would cover all Americans.

    Outcome: His proposal was heavily opposed by the American Medical Association (AMA) and some politicians, who branded it as “socialized medicine.” It failed to pass Congress.

    Achievements: While his main proposal failed, he was successful in passing the Hill-Burton Act (1946), which provided federal funds for hospital construction.

    Richard Nixon (1969–1974)
    Approach: Promoted private-sector solutions, specifically private health insurance mandates and HMOs.

    Proposal: In 1971 and 1974, Nixon proposed the “Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan” (CHIP), which required employers to provide private health insurance to employees and their dependents.

    Outcome: His broader plan for universal coverage through employer mandates was not adopted, largely due to political distraction from the Watergate scandal.

    Achievements: Nixon signed the HMO Act of 1973, which promoted Health Maintenance Organizations, and expanded Medicare to include people under 65 with long-term disabilities and end-stage renal disease.

    Summary of Differences
    While both sought to address rising health costs and lack of coverage, Truman pushed for a government-run system (single-payer), whereas Nixon aimed for a managed-competition model using private insurance

  36. Yesterday, China & Russia vetoed a measure at the United Nations Security Council to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, arguing it would have given the U.S. and Israel “carte blanche for continued aggression.”

    *How would the UN open it? BiBi said he wanted a pipeline so he could control the flow of oil. The obvious solution is to ditch fossil fuels and let all of the old men in either side just choke on their oil.

  37. “We’d all like fewer grammatical errors, but I fear the best we can hope for is less of them…”

  38. Today in the diner we learned blueINdallas is related to William Howard Taft.

    That prompted a chance to debunk some historical fake news. Taft NEVER got stuck in a bathtub. Contractors dropped it, reporters saw a crack, and decided a fat joke was simply too good to fact-check.

    From today’s Digital Diner menu 🍽️

  40. Tomorrow’s starter topic..
    The Middle East is officially stuck on rerun. Israel is hitting Lebanon, Iran is playing tollbooth at Hormuz, and Trump is back to fighting a war nobody voted for. Grab your gear and join the dig 11-Noon ET.

  41. Taft’s 5th great-grandfather is HW Bush’s 8th great-grandfather, W’s 9th great-grandfather, and my 11th great-grand-father. Nothing but Republicans in my family tree.

  42. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/epstein-files-email-trump-key-takeaways-b2867656.html

    He called him “borderline insane,” which Epstein said is “corroberated [sic] by some that are close.”

    Epstein wrote: “you see , i know how dirty donald is. my guess is that non lawyers ny biz people have no idea. what it means to have your fixer flip”

    Epstein believed Trump “feels alone. and is nuts!!!”

    “I told everyone from day one. evil beyond belief. mad, and most thought i was speaking metaphorically,” he wrote. “its obvious he could crack. stormy daniels. ? lies after lies after lies.”

    Epstein said “Donald is f***ing crazy.”

    Epstein also suggested Trump may have “early dementia”

  43. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/8/jd-vance-says-iran-would-be-dumb-to-let-talks-collapse-over-lebanon

    United States Vice President JD Vance has warned Iran that it would be “dumb” to jeopardise its ceasefire with Washington over Israel’s attacks in Lebanon.

    *Dumb? Iran holds the keys to the treasure house, which wasn’t locked until Dumbass attacked Iran. Iran is using the only leverage they have to help civilians from being killed by Israel. Get your head on straight, eyeliner guy.

  45. https://www.rawstory.com/pam-bondi-2676682476/

    “I’m confident Pam Bondi will eventually show up. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) and I drafted the subpoena, and it was for Pam Bondi as an individual, not Pam Bondi as Attorney General,” Khanna said.

    “We still have the votes to get her to be able to testify. And we’ll have another vote,” Khanna said. “Look, I know Jim Comer. I like him on a personal basis, but he was Captain Ahab in chasing Hillary Clinton to testify. And Hillary Clinton has been out of office for 20 years. So certainly he can have Pam Bondi come and testify and answer why they haven’t released the Epstein files.”

  46. TikTok is under new ownership. Ask why they wouldn’t want to leave up something negative about tRUMP, Netanyahu, or anything related. Ellison.

  47. “know Jim Comer. I like him on a personal basis, but he was Captain Ahab in chasing Hillary Clinton to testify. And Hillary Clinton has been out of office for 20 years”

    I guess if I were Hillary I might have a problem or two with that particular analogy. Great white whale and all that……

  48. https://www.irishstar.com/news/politics/kristi-noem-jet-melania-use-36986255

    The Trump administration is moving forward with the purchase of the $70 million Boeing 737 Max 8 that Noem leased for DHS use during her tenure.

    According to a Wall Street Journal report, a spokeswoman and officials familiar with the matter said the administration plans to use the luxury jet for travel by select cabinet secretaries, as well as to provide jet access to first lady Melania Trump’s office.

    *Waste, fraud and abuse!

  52. https://www.thelettersfromleo.com/p/contact-your-congressmen-pope-leo

    Pope Leo XIV called on ordinary citizens around the world today to contact their political leaders and demand an end to the war in Iran.

    Speaking to reporters at the Vatican, the first American pope turned his moral appeal into a direct political instruction for the people in the pews.

    “I would simply say, once again, what I said in the Urbi et Orbi message on Sunday, asking all people of goodwill to search always for peace and not violence, to reject war — especially a war which many people have said is an unjust war, which is continuing to escalate and which is not resolving anything… I would invite the citizens of all the countries involved to contact the authorities, political leaders, congressmen, to ask them — tell them to work for peace and to reject war always.”

    *There it is, without being sullied by running it through EllisonTok.

  53. Are you patriotically paying double for groceries just to own the global supply chain? Foxanne Fury breaks down why your impending bankruptcy is actually a masterclass in moral superiority. Watch the spin now, catch our breakdown daily at The Digital Diner 11-Noon ET

  54. https://english.nv.ua/nation/trump-says-break-with-nato-began-over-greenland-as-he-renews-paper-tiger-attack-50598273.html

    “To be honest, it all started with Greenland. We want Greenland. They don’t want to give it up to us. And I said, ‘Bye, bye,’” he said during a White House news conference.

    Trump again called NATO a “paper tiger” and criticized the alliance for refusing to help the United States in the war against Iran.

    “NATO is a paper tiger. We obviously don’t need them, because they did nothing to help,” the U.S. president added.

    *Well, he was no fan of NATO during his first term, but “it started with Greenland”? No, means no.

  56. https://turnto10.com/news/nation-world/iran-says-us-violated-deal-framework-calls-talks-unreasonable-agreement-truce-lebanon-ceasefire-war-conflict-bombing-airstrikes-attacks-operation-epic-fury-president-donald-trump-israeli-prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahu-israel-united-states

    Iran on Wednesday accused the U.S. of violating three clauses of its framework for a deal.

    Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the ceasefire agreement included ending the war in Lebanon, a claim disputed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump, who said the truce did not apply to Lebanon.

    “The Iran–U.S. Ceasefire terms are clear and explicit: the U.S. must choose — ceasefire or continued war via Israel. It cannot have both,” Araghchi wrote on X.

  59. Different song, same sentiment. The Bard was running long ago; Bill Withers kept it going.

    Seriously, it’s the same.

  60. BiD, low hanging fruit. Dumbass (a) doesn’t understand the difference between defense and offense; and (b) he fucking HATES NATO. He is, what word am I looking for? Stupid? Ignorant? Hard to tell the difference – with him.

  61. https://newrepublic.com/post/208820/pentagon-threatened-pope-criticized-donald-trump

    Pentagon Threatened the Pope After He Criticized Trump

    Days after Pope Leo XIV delivered his State of the World speech, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby summoned Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Vatican’s U.S. representative, to a closed-door Pentagon meeting for a bitter lecture.

    “The United States,” Colby said, according to a blistering new report by The Free Press, “has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side.”

  62. Yes, Pog, but you know how he holds a grudge. He’s still pissed about Greenland, and NATO might need to come to Denmark’s (Greenland) defense. He’s clearly not just walking away. Veruca wants Greenland.

  64. https://www.thelettersfromleo.com/p/the-pentagon-threatened-pope-leo

    The Pentagon Threatened Pope Leo XIV’s Ambassador With the Avignon Papacy

    The Free Press has documented a closed-door Pentagon meeting in which a senior Trump official lectured Pope Leo XIV’s ambassador on American military supremacy.

    [UPDATE at 4:33 PM EDT: Letters from Leo can now independently confirm The Free Press report that the meeting took place — and that some Vatican officials were so alarmed by the Pentagon’s tactics that they shelved plans for Pope Leo XIV to visit the United States later this year.

    Other officials in the Vatican saw the Pentagon’s reference to an Avignon papacy as a threat to use military force against the Holy See.]

    In January, behind closed doors at the Pentagon, Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby summoned Cardinal Christophe Pierre — Pope Leo XIV’s then-ambassador to the United States — and delivered a lecture.

    America, Colby and his colleagues told the cardinal, has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side.

    As tempers rose, one U.S. official reached for a fourteenth-century weapon and invoked the Avignon Papacy, the period when the French Crown used military force to bend the bishop of Rome to its will.

    *Well, where was “baby Catholic” JD Vance???

  69. Whelp, here is TikTokEllison who is also OracleEllison, and Oracle now has all Medicare and Medicaid medical records…and they share cloud storage with Peter Thiel’s military surveillance entity Palantir…and the same Ai is running across both platforms. This woman is collecting evidence to file a case against Oracle for violation of the Third Amendment.

    Y’all do realize that they want as many humans to die as quickly and cheaply as possible, right?

    Anyway, her video starts with a Larry Ellison video from 2013, and wanted to access medical records back then. No government would misuse them, right?

  71. yes i do sincerely believe that trump would initiate a mutually-assured-destruction scenario, just as a “fuck you” to the world

  73. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/23/turkish-threat-talked-up-israel-netanyahu-focuses-new-alliances

    Israel must not “turn a blind eye” to Turkiye, accusing it of being part of a regional axis “similar to the Iranian one”.

    “A new Turkish threat is emerging,” Bennett said. “We must act in different ways, but simultaneously against the threat from Tehran and against the hostility from Ankara.”

    Other Israeli politicians have said similar things in the past few months, with Turkiye a strong critic of Israel’s actions towards the Palestinians and its genocidal war on Gaza, and also getting closer to regional powers such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

    *Well, that would complicate things. Turkey is a member of NATO.

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