Free Republic

President Donald Trump’s war with Iran is not going well. He began the conflict with a promise to use an air campaign to initiate regime change in as little as “two or three days.” But about three weeks in, Iran’s government, military and security forces remain highly functional. No popular uprising has emerged. And Iran’s government has seized control of the Strait of Hormuz, sending global oil prices surging and Trump into a panic. Robert Pape, a political scientist at the University of Chicago, is one of the analysts who saw this situation coming a long way off. An expert...

Trump celebrated the news of Mueller's passing, writing on Truth Social: 'Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!' Trump has disliked Mueller since the latter was charge of the investigation into the Russian interference in the 2016 election, which the president won. Trump labeled the investigation a 'witch hunt' and frequently attacked Mueller. The former FBI director spent two years investigating, concluding that Russia had interfered with the election to benefit Trump.

🚨 JUST IN: Democrats are LOSING THEIR MINDS after President Trump confirmed he will deploy ICE directly into our airports for security because Chuck Schumer defunded DHS and TSA ULTIMATE CHECKMATE MOVE! Trump said they will even arrest illegal aliens like places from SOMALIA "I look forward to seeing ICE in action at our Airports." Trump will win in the end, like always!

James Carville passionately discusses his views on political bias, Trump, and American patriotism, emphasizing the importance of morality and prayer in turbulent times. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Trump Derangement Syndrome 03:06 The Impact of Trump on American Morality 05:58 Prayers for the Nation and Its Soldiers 09:14 Critique of Media Fairness and Political Integrity

Summary President Donald Trump says the US is considering "winding down" operations against Iran, but that other nations must guard the Strait of Hormuz - a vital shipping lane for oilTrump adds that he does not want a ceasefire. The US is making detailed plans for the possibility of deploying ground troops to Iran, the BBC's US partner CBS News reports The US says it will temporarily lift sanctions on Iranian oil stuck at sea, to contain the war's ongoing impact on energy prices Overnight, Israel launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran and Beirut. Israel, Saudi Arabia and...

@joekent16jan19 Looks I’ll be on @marklevinshow’s radio show Monday at 8pm. I’d think the Fox interview would be better but this will work.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard fully intends to remain in her position despite rumors that she is planning to resign from President Donald Trump's administration in protest of the Iran war. Right-wing activist Laura Loomer announced on social media Thursday evening that Gabbard was preparing to resign, citing a member of the director's political staff as a source. She advocated that President Trump fire Gabbard before she could resign. But a senior administration official told the Daily Mail that Loomer’s claim was ‘total bull****.’ A spokesperson for the Director of National Intelligence also pushed back against the online rumors....

...So just to be clear: I don't "fear" that it "might" end badly. Because, since VJ Day, what American war doesn't? The only difference this time is the potential scale of disaster. As I noted at the beginning of Wednesday's Clubland Q&A: Population of Syria in 2011: 22 million; Population of Libya in 2011: 6.3 million; Population of Iraq in 2003: 26.8 million; Population of Afghanistan in 2001: 20-25 million; Population of Vietnam in 1965: 37 million; Population of North Korea in 1950: 11 million. Oh, and, for those weary of that grim roll-call, let's throw in: Population of the...

Under the decisive leadership of President Donald J. Trump, Operation Epic Fury is delivering overwhelming, devastating success against the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. In just three weeks, America’s unmatched military has obliterated the Iranian regime’s air and naval capabilities, demolished its ballistic missile arsenal and production facilities, annihilated more than 7,000 targets, and crippled its ability to fund and arm terrorist proxies.Despite a relentless campaign by the Fake News and the Radical Left to manufacture tales of “division” to distract from this historic triumph, it is clear the American people — and President Trump’s base — stand firmly...

Republican strategist Karl Rove on Wednesday argued President Trump will not lose any voters over the war against Iran. “Much of the criticism of Operation Epic Fury comes from the likes of the Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes, the Israel-obsessed podcasters Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly, and the conspiracist Candace Owens. Do voters who identify themselves as MAGA Republicans share their opinions? Do they feel betrayed by the president?” Rove wrote in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal. “The answer is an unequivocal no, according to a survey from the Vandenberg Coalition, a nonpartisan group committed to the idea that...

President Trump on Friday slammed NATO allies as "cowards" for not sending troops to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for the global oil trade that remains effectively closed amid Iran's continued retaliation for Israel's attack on the South Pars natural gas field.

Footage has emerged of President Donald Trump warning of the threat posed by Iran's Supreme Leader and America's goals in a war with the nation, 39 years ago. The video captured an interview with late journalist and television personality Barbara Walters in December 1987, where Trump appeared to predict the current crisis in the Middle East and laid out his war plans if he were president. At age 41, Trump said: 'The next time Iran attacks this country, go in and grab one of their big oil installations and I mean grab it and keep it and get back your...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NNZ2u2WDD0&t=883s SUMMARY >>> 2. Cost asymmetry **************** Mine: ~$1,500 Destroyer: ~$2 billion Ratio: 1 : 1.3 million This makes mines one of the most cost-effective weapons ever created. 3. Geography of the Strait of Hormuz ************ Only a 6-mile-wide shipping corridor actually needs to be mined. Iran doesn’t need to block the whole strait—just the key lanes. 4. Psychological & economic impact ************ Mines act as an “insurance weapon”: One explosion → insurers withdraw coverage Tankers stop entering the region Trade halts without further attacks Critical insight: ************* The goal isn’t to destroy ships—it’s to trigger fear and shut down...

President Trump asserted on Thursday that he had no plans to commit ground forces to the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran, even though he has acknowledged he is contemplating moves that could drag the military into land combat operations. Mr. Trump’s comments still left some room for him to reverse course. “I’m not putting troops anywhere,″ Mr. Trump told a reporter who asked about using ground troops. “If I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you.” The president has spent several days alternating between threats to escalate strikes on Iran — which at times he has insisted are an “operation” or an...

Vice President JD Vance is projecting loyalty to Donald Trump as the president leads the United States into the type of war the Iraq veteran didn’t want — and as the new conflict complicates Vance’s political future. Vance allies have played down the impact the operation in Iran could have on his presidential ambitions, insisting that a mission involving the U.S. military only for a matter of weeks won’t stay in voters’ memories. People close to the vice president have also conceded to The Washington Post, however, that a months-long conflict will pose a problem for whoever is the next...

Diplomacy is not surrender, and talking to an opponent is not a reward for good behavior. In dealings with China, Russia, or Iran, U.S. diplomatic initiatives must always be measured not by the process or optics—or by whether they support an abstract goal—but by whether the outcome results in greater or weaker constraints on a rival’s ability to harm us and our interests. Does it increase or decrease his dependency on us? Does it aid or complicate his ability to concentrate military power against us? Does it ease or impede his path of conquest?A corollary has to do with allies....

Progressive influencer Kat Abughazaleh closed out her failed Illinois congressional bid Tuesday night with an expletive-laced tirade against President Donald Trump and federal immigration authorities, telling supporters, "f--- Trump, f--- ICE, free Palestine." The comments came at the end of her concession speech after losing the Illinois 9th Congressional District Democratic primary on Tuesday. "I don’t know if you heard, but we didn’t win, and it really f------ sucks. We came really close," Abughazaleh told the crowd, adding that her campaign was "something that no one in power even expected would be possible at all." Abughazaleh lost the primary to...

Two weeks into Operation Epic Fury, the dominant narrative has settled into a comfortable groove: The United States and Israel stumbled into a war without a plan. Iran is retaliating across the region. Oil prices are surging, and the world is facing another Middle Eastern quagmire. US senators have called it a blunder. Cable news has tallied the crises. Commentators have warned of a long war. The chorus is loud and, in some respects, understandable. War is ugly, and this one has imposed real costs on millions of people across the Middle East, including the city I live in. But...

The probe predates Kent's departure from government, according to sources familiar with the matter. The FBI is investigating former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent over allegations that he leaked classified information, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The probe predates Kent’s departure from government, sources told Fox News Digital. The FBI declined Fox News' request for comment. Fox News Digital has reached out to Kent by phone and email for comment. Kent resigned Tuesday from his role as the nation’s top counterterrorism official, citing opposition to the U.S. war against Iran. In a public statement, Kent said...

An Israeli strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field was coordinated with the Trump administration in advance, according to three Israeli officials, despite President Trump’s initial assertion in a social media post that the United States “knew nothing about” it. “The United States knew nothing about this particular attack,” Mr. Trump wrote in the social media post late Wednesday, saying that Israel had “violently lashed out.” A day later, Mr. Trump appeared to have changed course. Speaking to reporters Thursday at the White House, Mr. Trump implied that he had spoken about the strike ahead of time with Prime Minister...