Wednesday, August 26, 2026. Chump was warned exactly what would -- and did -- happen if he went to war with Iran but he went to war anyway, Hegseth's fired so many officers whose expertise was needed, Chump's war with Canada is not going well, his convention next month that's all about him is not off to a good start, Ghislaine Maxwell gets turned down by the court, and much more.
Chump's Iran War continues. He said it would be brief.
But a few days turned into a few months turned into six months and
counting. And it's destroyed the economy and left at least 756 troops
injured and at least 18 service members dead. And Chump has no way out,
no plans, nothing. So it's worth knowing that he was warned of all of
this before he started the war -- and yet he started it anyway. Reanna Smith (DAILY EXPRESS) reports:
Donald
Trump was issued three specific warnings about launching a war against
Iran, but ignored them anyway, according to leaked details of a February
White House meeting.
Just days before launching the joint strikes with Israel against Iran, Trump summoned his intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard to the Oval Office to get her advice on whether an all-out attack would work to dismantle Iran's nuclear program
and force regime change. Gabbard, who was the Director of National
Intelligence at the time, highlighted three potentially disastrous
consequences of launching a war with Iran as she outlined US
intelligence on the matter.
According to details of the
meeting leaked to the Wall Street Journal, Gabbard informed Trump that
killing Iran's supreme leader would likely result in a more hard-line
regime taking over, which would be more eager to acquire nuclear
weapons. It comes after Donald Trump's 'tense' chat with Melania decoded by lip reader amid Natalie Harp claims.
She
also reportedly warned that in response to strikes, Tehran would
swiftly shut down the Strait of Hormuz, sparking a global energy crisis.
Gabbard further warned that Iran would strike US forces and allies in
the Middle East, prompting concerns about American resolve and
reliability among allies.
Gabbard's
warnings echoed those Trump had already received from top military
leaders, who had reportedly informed the president that a war with Iran
would lead to casualties and concerns about US weapons stockpiles.
All
that could go wrong -- all that did go wrong -- was outlined to Chump
before he started the war but he's a chump and Netanyahu and Lindsey
Graham played him. Shay Bottomley (NATIONAL SECURITY JOURNAL) reports:
The
Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council has warned
neighboring countries not to join the United States’ “economic war”
against the authoritarian regime.
Mohsen
Rezaei, who succeeded Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr as secretary earlier this
month, said that Tehran would “retaliate in a seismic manner” and would
consider any country that cooperates with economic sanctions as an
enemy of Iran.
President Donald
Trump has largely shifted to an economic campaign after military strikes
failed to topple the Iranian regime earlier this year.
A
temporary peace agreement brought an end to much of the fighting, but
Washington and Tehran continue to remain at odds over key issues
including the Strait of Hormuz – a vital shipping lane through which 20%
of the world’s oil and gas passes, which has been closed since the war
began back in February.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to fire numerous top
generals has put America’s military between a rock and a hard place in
its war against Iran.
The Army has been without a chief of
staff since Hegseth fired General Randy George in April; he has forced
out at least three senior officers that were believed to be in the
running to be George’s replacement, according to current and former
officials that spoke with The New York Times.
All in all, Hegseth has forced out at least half a dozen senior officers, according to inside sources that spoke with the Times, who say this purge has damaged the service’s expertise and has eroded its top ranks.
Those
affected include General James Mingus, the Army vice chief of staff
that Hegseth forced out last year with little explanation, and General
David Hodne, whom Hegseth hired and then fired just eight months later.
Other
axed officers include Major General William Green, General Christopher
Donahue, and General James Slife, the Air Force vice chief of staff.
General CQ Brown Jr. was also fired
from his position as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs in the early
weeks of Donald Trump’s second term, and General David Allvin retired early last fall.
Army
Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll, the Army’s top civilian leader, is also
believed to be on his way out in the coming months, according to the Times, which reported that Driscoll has already moved out of the large family house he was renting outside Washington.
Defense
Secretary Pete Hegseth gutted a key Pentagon program he viewed as
“woke” after every top military commander rebuffed his push to dismantle
it, according to a new ProPublica investigation.
Retired
Army Gen. Erik Kurilla, then the leader of U.S. Central Command, and
other senior officers urged Hegseth to keep the Civilian Harm Mitigation
and Response program, which helps the military avoid killing
noncombatants.
“That intent was overridden,” one retired general told ProPublica in a report published Tuesday.
The
U.S. military has killed hundreds of noncombatants since Hegseth
decided to gut the program last year, the investigation found. But after
significant blowback, the Defense Department is now considering
partially restoring it with 70 full-time employees, the outlet reported.
The
number of civilians killed in the Iran War may be as low as 3,400 or as
high as 6,000 while the number of civilians left injured is in the tens
of thousands.
Turning to
our northern neighbor, Chump acted the bully and was surprised to find
that Canada wouldn't be bullied. All weekend and on Monday, he was
bullying Canada and talking smack. Yesterday he experienced pushback. Sebastian Murdock (HUFFINGTON POST) notes:
President Donald Trump threw a hissy fit Tuesday over Canada’s refusal to give in to his ridiculous trade war demands.
“Canada
has been ‘Ripping Off’ the U.S.A. for decades,” Trump posted on Truth
Social Tuesday. “They have been charging our Farmers 400% Tariffs, and
more. They have driven many wonderful U.S. companies out of business.”
Neither
claim is true, but Trump has been grasping for anything after Canadian
Prime Minister Mark Carney made it clear he wouldn’t abide by Trump’s
harmful trade war demands. Part of Carney’s refusal included that he
would not accept a trade deal that would have weakened French language
protections in Canada.
Trump responded Monday by announcing 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods. And in a posting spree about Canada on Tuesday, Trump desperately claimed
he “would never interfere with Canadians speaking French!” before
pivoting to a post about how “difficult and unreasonable” the country is
being.
“The
sheer number of lies from President Trump about Canada – growing again
today – is remarkable,” Dale wrote on X. “Just some fact checks from the
last 18 months:”
Dale began with two whoppers Trump told Monday.
“Trump
falsely said today that Canada’s unemployment rate is ‘10% and rapidly
rising,’ though it is 6.4% (under the Canadian method that adds about a
percentage point) and has been declining for three months,” Dale wrote.
Next
up, “Trump falsely said today that Canada does 95% of its business with
the US, though 72% of Canadian exports went to the US last year.”
And
finally, “Trump falsely said today that high Canadian agricultural
tariffs have caused the entire US trade deficit with Canada, though that
deficit is overwhelmingly caused by US imports of cheap Canadian crude
and though something like 97% of US ag exports to Canada are
tariff-free.”
His lies have become common place. There is strong pushback to Chump's war on Canada. Alex Henderson reports:
When
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Canada with new 50 percent
tariffs on Canadian autos and steel on Monday, Prime Minister Mark
Carney responded by revealing retaliatory tariffs against the United
States. Liberal economist Paul Krugman is warning that no good can come
from a trade war with Canada, but liberals aren't the only ones who are
criticizing Trump's economic policies. According to The Hill, Trump is
getting a strong pushback from conservative Republican senators.
Journalist
Alexander Bolton, reporting for The Hill, explains, "President Trump is
headed for a clash with Senate Republicans over his decision to pause
tariffs on beef imports while ratcheting up tariffs on key Canadian
goods. Trump's plan to exempt 300,000 tons of product for ground beef
from out-of-quota tariffs to address Americans' concerns about high food
prices while simultaneously threatening Canada with 50 percent tariffs
on imports that could impact auto and housing prices has sparked a
furious response from GOP senators across the party's political
spectrum."
One of the Republican senators who is speaking is Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina).
Tillis
said of Trump's trade and economic policies, "I think it's a mistake.
It's what happens when he has advisers trying to micromanage things.
They're skating where the puck is versus where it needs to be. If you
think that providing subsidized beef for some period of time is going to
make farmers happy and prices go down on (a) systemic basis, you're
wrong. It doesn't happen. Every time the government micromanages the
economy, consumers suffer."
On X, formerly
Twitter, Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) wrote, "Importing beef below market
prices will only put further downward pressure on the livestock sector,
endangering what has been a bright spot in a struggling agriculture
industry. I urge President Trump to halt this action, listen to ranchers
and let the free markets work."
Sen. Susan
Collins (R-Maine) described Trump's tariffs threat against Canada as "a
mistake," telling News Center Maine, "We produce a lot in Maine — our
blueberries, our potatoes, our lobster, our lumber — that is processed
across the border. If it comes back with a huge tariff on it, perhaps as
much as 50 percent, that increases the cost of eating, building homes
and (merchandising) our best-known products."
Senate
Republican Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) tweeted, "Americans want US
beef on the table – not foreign imports. Wyoming ranchers produce the
highest quality beef in the world. Our ranchers don't ask for special
treatment. They simply want a fair marketplace. It needs to be easier –
not harder – for Wyoming ranchers to feed America. I will continue to
fight for policies that strengthen Wyoming beef producers and invest in
the American cattle herd."
Other things disappointing people? Chump's convention next month.
President Donald Trump billed his first-ever Republican midterm convention as a historic, can't-miss spectacle, but inside the party, some strategists are calling it a "s-- show."
The
two-day gathering, set for Sept. 9-10 at Dallas's American Airlines
Center, has become a headache for Republicans who don't see the point,
and don't want to pay for it, according to Puck's Leigh Ann Caldwell and
Marianna Sotomayor.
Their reporting detailed a
steep tab for lawmakers, as the National Republican Campaign Committee
is asking House members to fork over $25,000 to bring themselves and a
guest, three people who saw the invitation told Puck.
And that's just the entry-level rate.
The
top tier runs $100,000. Corporate sponsorships, meanwhile, are being
routed through a nonprofit that isn't required to name its donors.
Unlike
a presidential nominating convention, no official party business will
be conducted. The RNC rewrote its rules in January to allow a purely
ceremonial event. That, combined with invitations that landed only weeks
ago, after many lawmakers had already booked their fall calendars, has
left some operatives fuming that it amounts to a glorified fundraiser
built around a Trump rally.
There
are more complaints. Including concerns of costs since Chump can be
very stingy after an event and refuse to pay the agreed upon sum. Devyani Chhetri (DALLAS MORNING NEWS) reports:
Dallas typically asks major-event organizers to put money down to help cover city services.
But with about two weeks before President Donald Trump's Republican
convention, officials could not tell City Council members on Monday
whether organizers had been asked for a deposit.
The
uncertainty deepened concerns among some council members that Dallas
could be left with part of the bill for security and other city
services, even as officials presented their first cost estimates for the
Sept. 9–10 event.
The arrival of a president,
senior administration officials, dignitaries and more than 20,000
attendees will require an extensive security operation for the
convention at the American Airlines Center and elsewhere in Dallas.
Police
spending alone could reach $1.8 million. Cleanup and barriers could add
$14,000, and the fire department's estimate is still pending, said
Kevin Oden, the city's director of emergency management and crisis
response, in a briefing for the council's finance committee.
Committee
members did not question whether Dallas should protect or welcome the
event. But they repeatedly asked how the city reached this point without
confirmation that a payment had been secured upfront.
They also pressed for a clearer accounting of any convention expenses taxpayers might have to cover.
"I
do have real concerns" about nonpayment, said Chad West, the committee
chair, citing payment disputes after smaller Trump events in other
cities. He said organizers of major events such as the Dallas Marathon
typically agree to pay security expenses upfront.
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Maxie Johnson focused on the city's already strained finances.
"I
don't care if it costs $10," Johnson said. Dallas was already facing a
budget shortfall, he said, and should not assume another financial
obligation it lacked the capacity to cover.
Again,
Chump has a habit of stiffing people he doesn't pay ahead of campaign
events. El Paso apparently never got paid the $570,000 he owes it for a
February 2019 rally, Albuquerque says he owes them $445,000 for past
events. Grand Rapids wrote off approximately $50,000 that he owes for
2024 rallies. There are many more.
A
MAGA congressional candidate in a Kentucky district Donald Trump
carried by 15 points in 2024 has quietly rebranded himself just over two
months before Election Day.
Ralph Alvarado is
running for Congress in Kentucky's 6th Congressional District, which
covers Lexington, Richmond and Georgetown, and received the president's
"Complete and Total Endorsement," but NBC News reported that he has stripped his campaign website of pro-Trump messaging and a photo of the two men together.
Before
the primary, Alvarado's homepage branded him an "AMERICA FIRST
FIGHTER," saying, "President Trump needs more allies in Congress to
deliver on his bold vision to Make America Great Again. With your help, I
will be that fighter," alongside a photo of Alvarado and Trump smiling
together, the president flashing a thumbs-up.
That
language is gone. Where the site once called Alvarado an "AMERICA FIRST
FIGHTER," it now promises "INDEPENDENT LEADERSHIP," according to
archived versions reviewed by NBC News.
The Trump
paragraph has been replaced with one centered on healthcare: "Healthcare
isn't a talking point to me — it's been my life's work. In Congress,
I'll work with both parties to fight for affordable healthcare, lower
costs, and practical solutions that help Kentucky families."
Gettys
details many other removals and changes to the website. All involve
Chump. That's how toxic Chump has become. Smart Republicans are
erasing his endorsement and their ties with him in an effort to win
their campaigns. Chump seemed invincible once upon a time. But that
never lasts. And we noted when the country soured on him last year.
The polls began to drop and that tends to be what they do -- drop. They
don't turn around and rise back up. And Chump is the anchor around his
party's neck. Martha McHardy (DAILY BEAST) reports:
Donald Trump’s approval rating remains stuck at a humiliating low two months ahead of the midterm elections.
The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted Aug. 21-24 among 1,215 U.S. adults, shows just 33 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s job performance.
That
matches his approval rating earlier this month, which was the lowest
recorded in Reuters/Ipsos polling across either of his presidencies.
The
brutal number lands as Trump’s war with Iran loses public support and
the midterm elections draw closer, threatening to turn his sinking
popularity into a major problem for Republicans fighting to hold
Congress.
Only 31 percent of respondents said they support
U.S. military action against Iran, down from 37 percent in March and 34
percent earlier this month.
Donald
Trump secured strong support in rural areas, winning 69% of rural
voters in 2024, according to Pew. Data from Investigate Midwest further
shows that farming-dependent counties across the Corn Belt backed him
with an average of 78% of the vote.
Today, however, this farm-country stronghold faces severe economic
turmoil. Many farmers report that Trump's policies, specifically his
trade war and the conflict with Iran, are worsening the crisis, driving
the agricultural sector into its most significant financial downturn in
decades.
These agricultural communities
face historic uncertainty and rising costs. War with Iran has driven
gas prices from about $3 to over $4 per gallon, raising household
expenses and undermining Trump's promise to lower the cost of living.
Agricultural
producers who voted heavily for Donald Trump in 2024 report that his
trade disputes and the conflict with Iran have driven up operational
expenses and market unpredictability, triggering the sector's sharpest
economic contraction in decades.
President
Donald Trump has received a new warning sign about Americans’
confidence in the economy just 70 days before the 2026 midterm
elections, as a flurry of recent polls reveals growing voter frustration
with his administration.
The Conference Board
announced on Tuesday that its Consumer Confidence Index decreased to
89.4 in August, down from 90.2 in July, with its Chief Economist Dana M.
Peterson saying consumers “were more pessimistic about business
conditions and the labor market over the next six months.”
Turning to Chump's friend since the 80s, the late Jeffrey Epstein.
Epstien died in jail. His partner in crime lived to be convicted and put in prison. REUTERS reports:
A
U.S. judge rejected Ghislaine Maxwell's bid to throw out her conviction
and 20-year prison sentence for helping the late financier Jeffrey
Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls.
In a
decision made public on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer
said Maxwell's claims were all meritless, and all or almost all were
frivolous.
Maxwell, 64, who represented herself,
challenged her December 2021 conviction and sentence in Manhattan
federal court, and sought a writ of habeas corpus declaring her
punishment unlawful.
The
64-year-old submitted evidence from the three million Epstein files
released by the US department of justice (DoJ) as part of her appeal.
Judge Engelmayer said the evidence “incriminates her” and “reinforces” her guilt.
The
disgraced British heiress, who is Epstein’s former girlfriend, is
serving 20 years in a US prison for trafficking children to the
paedophile.
A New York appeals court rejected a previous effort to have it overturned, and the US Supreme Court declined to hear her case.
The latest decision by Judge Engelmayer leaves a presidential pardon from Donald Trump as her only chance of freedom.
The US president has not ruled out giving Maxwell a pardon, telling reporters in July 2025: “I’m allowed to do it, but it’s something I haven’t thought about.”
Mr
Trump, Maxwell and Epstein were fixtures of the same social circles in
Palm Beach and New York in the 80s and 90s and were pictured together
multiple times.
Let's wind down with this from Senator Elizabeth Warren's office:
“Your recent public
statement appears to indicate that the information you provided to the
Committee and the Office of Government Ethics is no longer accurate and
suggests that you have either modified your ethics agreement or strayed
from it altogether.”
Washington, D.C. — Following a social media post
from Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F.
Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.), U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Angela
Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)
wrote to RFK Jr. asking whether he has changed his ethics agreement,
and if so, how and when any changes were made. The letter builds on an
investigation by Senators Warren, Blumenthal, Alsobrooks, and Andy Kim
(D-NJ) into whether RFK Jr.’s family may be financially benefitting from
a $50 million anti-vaccine settlement he could have influenced as HHS
Secretary.
Prior to his confirmation as Secretary of HHS, RFK Jr. helped
spearhead a lawsuit against the vaccine manufacturer Merck & Co.
(“Merck”) and the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, Gardasil. RFK
Jr.’s initial ethics agreement allowed him to retain a 10% contingency
fee in cases that he had referred to his former law firm, Wisner Baum.
After warnings from Senator Warren about this conflict of interest, RFK
Jr. agreed to amend his ethics agreement to “divest [his] interest in
any such litigation [related to Gardasil] via an assignment to [his]
non-dependent, adult son.” RFK Jr. also signed an ethics agreement
compliance certification in which he indicated that he had “completed
all of the divestitures indicated in [his] ethics agreement.”
In June, Merck & Co., Inc. (Merck) announced that the company would pay
$50 million to settle more than 200 lawsuits regarding the use of
Gardasil, a safe, effective vaccine that prevents multiple types of
cancer. The settlement covers lawsuits for which Secretary Kennedy was
listed as the attorney of record and cases represented by Secretary
Kennedy’s former employer, Wisner Baum.
Following the settlement, Senators Warren, Blumenthal, Alsobrooks, and Kim opened an investigation to clarify whether the Secretary’s son benefitted fromthis
agreement. The Secretary thereafter stated on X, “[b]efore taking
office, I relinquished any interest in potential Gardasil fees back to
the Wisner Baum law firm” rather than to his son, and claimed that
Wisner Baum had “publicly confirmed this during [his] confirmation
process.”
In a new letter to RFK Jr., the senators note that these recent
statements are a departure from what he told the Senate Finance
Committee during his nomination process and the ethics agreement that he
filed with the Office of Government Ethics.
“Your response raises questions about the disclosures you made to
Congress and in federal ethics documents, and your statements require
further clarification,” wrote the senators. “Your
recent public statement appears to indicate that the information you
provided to the Committee and the Office of Government Ethics is no
longer accurate and suggests that you have either modified your ethics
agreement or strayed from it altogether.”
The senators note that their staff conducted a diligent review of all
of Secretary Kennedy’s public financial disclosures and ethics
documents and identified no amendments or modifications to any of these
materials. Additionally, the Senate Finance Committee did not identify
any information indicating RFK Jr. changed the disposition of his
Gardasil stake.
To understand these discrepancies, the senators wrote to RFK Jr.,
pushing him for answers on whether he had transferred his 10 percent
stake in Gardisil litigation to his son or any other entity and whether
he or his family stands to gain from this recent settlement.
Senator Warren has led Senate oversight on RFK Jr.’s anti-vaccine agenda and conflicts of interest as HHS Secretary:
In July 2026, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Angela
Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) opened
a new investigation into whether Secretary of Health and Human Services
(HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ‘s (RFK Jr.) family may be financially
benefiting from a $50 million anti-vaccine settlement that his actions
as Secretary could have influenced.
In January 2026, Senators Warren (D-Mass.), Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Markey (D-Mass.), and Alsobrooks (D-Md.) pressed RFK Jr. on his proposed overhaul
of the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, which could threaten the
domestic vaccine supply, undermine public health, and potentially enrich
Secretary Kennedy’s family and close allies.
In June 2025, Senator Warren (D-Mass.), on the eve of a key committee meeting, slammed RFK Jr. for his “reckless” and “shortsighted” decision
to fire all 17 independent members of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and
replace them with eight members who appear to be hand-picked to advance
RFK Jr.’s own anti-vaccine agenda.
In January 2025, at a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) questioned RKF Jr.,
then-nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), about
his dangerous conflicts of interest and record of profiting from
anti-vaccine conspiracies.
