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Sep 1, 2026 - World

MAGA pundits were cornered by panelists on CNN's "NewsNight" with host Abby Phillip on Monday over the president's latest batch of empty threats toward Iran. Over the weekend, President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated video of him attacking Kharg Island, a strategic island in the Persian Gulf that the Iranian regime has used to attack merchant ships in the area. Trump has previously threatened to strike the island and posted the threat on the same day U.S. forces hit Larak Island in the Strait. May Mailman, legal director for Independent Women's Law Center and a former Trump administration staffer, argued that Trump's comments were meaningless because they were written on Truth Social. "When are we going to stop being like, so triggered by Truth Social and an AI video?" she asked. Her comment caused an uproar on the panel. "How dare we take the President of the United States seriously?" Isaiah Martin, a Democratic content creator, responded rhetorically. Leigh McGowan, host of the "Politics Girl" podcast, argued that Trump's video was another in a long series of "unhinged" behavior that should worry Americans. "It's so absurd," McGowan said. "He does crazy things that are completely unhinged; says he's going to annihilate the entire civilization. Then does this bombing thing, and we're supposed to be like, 'Oh, he's just joking. He's just coming in there for a little joke.' It's a terrible way to lead anyone."Noah Rothman, a senior writer at the National Review, argued that he is also tired of Trump's empty threats, and said they are no longer credible in either the U.S. or in Iran. "What is credible is the lawn mowing strategy that we've begun to see articulated in the press, and the Iranians should be very afraid of our degree to degrade their capability to project power," Rothman said. Martin was taken aback by the argument, and pointed out that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had recently claimed "all objectives" of Trump's war had been achieved. "So, they lied?" Martin said. Rothman stammered and conceded that some of the Trump administration's claims about the war have been untruthful.

Sep 1, 2026 - World

Outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) dropped the hammer on several of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein's alleged co-conspirators in a scorched-earth rant on Monday night. Massie took to the House floor and read the names of several alleged Epstein co-conspirators. The names included Jes Staley, Leon Black, Les Wexner, David Copperfield, Lapo Elkann, Tom Pritzker, Glenn Dubin, Frédéric Fekkai, Eduardo Teodorani-Fabbri, Jean-Luc Brunel, Daniel Siad, Ramsey Elkholy, Prince Andrew, and Lesley Groff. Everyone Massie mentioned who has spoken publicly about their relationship with Epstein has denied any wrongdoing. Massie said he hoped the move would "shame the Department of Justice into releasing the names of more co-conspirators."This is the second time that Massie has exposed the names of some of Epstein's alleged co-conspirators. In February, Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) exposed three names: Leon Black, Jes Staley, and Les Wexner.It happened at a time when the Trump administration is trying to outrun the Epstein files saga, which has consumed much of the second Trump presidency. The Trump DOJ has claimed it won't release any more files, despite acknowledging that it holds more than 3 million unreleased records. On the House floor tonight, I read the names of several Epstein coconspirators who should be investigated and prosecuted.I also began collecting 218 signatures for the discharge petition to force a vote on Epstein Files Transparency Act II. pic.twitter.com/fgpebvxNpP— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) August 31, 2026

Aug 31, 2026 - World

A series of unprecedented Pentagon leaks stunned onlookers Monday, appearing designed to pull the United States out of a war rather than push it deeper in, breaking with decades of precedent.On Sunday, The Washington Post published a bombshell report that revealed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had been warned by several U.S. military leaders that a prolonged large-scale operation against Iran was “unsustainable,” despite Hegseth’s claims to the contrary. The Post’s report was based on a recent classified assessment and inside sources, suggesting Pentagon officials had leaked the information to the outlet.As argued by conservative commentator Saagar Enjeti, the leaks illustrated how poorly the deeply unpopular U.S. war against Iran had gone during its first six months.“Never in my lifetime have I seen the Pentagon brass desperately leak to keep the US OUT of a war. It is always the opposite to box a President in,” Enjeti wrote Monday in a social media post on X. “Just shows how bad things are.”Andrew Fox, a retired British Army major and military analyst, was equally stunned by the nature of the leaks.“An astonishing leak, and not officially denied, to my knowledge,” Fox wrote Monday in a social media post on X. “A leak like this is unprecedented. Perhaps some US officers do remember the ‘and domestic’ part of their oath.”Others, like foreign policy scholar Arta Moeini, were more taken aback by which forces appeared to be pushing for the United States to continue its war against Iran.“Even the US military wants to pull back from the Middle East. Ironically it's the civilian leadership that keeps us permanently engaged in a region peripheral to our interests,” Moeini wrote Monday in a social media post on X.Never in my lifetime have I seen the Pentagon brass desperately leak to keep the US OUT of a war. It is always the opposite to box a President inJust shows how bad things are https://t.co/gJCxBjBZcU— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) August 31, 2026

Aug 31, 2026 - World

A conservative columnist for the Washington Post is not happy with his employer's publishing a weekend bombshell report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing stiff opposition from Pentagon generals as the Iran war drags on.According to the exclusive from the Post’s Alex Horton and Tara Copp, a handful of U.S. military leaders have warned Hegseth that “prolonging large-scale operations against Iran is unsustainable” and puts the military at risk should another threat emerge elsewhere — “including the U.S. homeland.”“Leaders of the U.S. European Command, the U.S. Pacific Command and the U.S. Southern Command, along with the Navy’s top admiral, responded with what is characterized in the SDOB as a ‘non-concur,’ those familiar with the assessment said — meaning they disagree with the secretary’s order to extend their forces but will execute it nevertheless,” the report continued.Marc Thiessen, who joined the Post as a columnist after a stint as a spokesperson for Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC) and serving as a speechwriter for President George W. Bush, announced he wants a criminal investigation of Horton and Copps sources -- leaving open whether they should be prosecuted also.On X, he linked to the WaPo announcement of the “exclusive " story and accused, “Whoever leaked this is a traitor and ought to be prosecuted.”That falls in line with Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, who is angling to be the new Army Secretary despite a history of domestic abuse allegations, who issued a statement saying, “publishing highly classified assessments from the Secretary’s orders book is a crime” and “a betrayal of the force.”The Post picked a side and went with the reporters, issuing a statement that reads, in part: “The assertion that such a publication is a crime is both incorrect and irresponsible.”

Aug 31, 2026 - World

Concerns were raised on Monday morning that 80-year-old President Donald Trump is having problems understanding what is going on in his war on Iran.Sunday evening, the Pentagon confirmed an attack on Larak Island in the Gulf of Hormuz, reportedly taking out Iranian rocket launchers designed to disperse sea mines into the waterway.According to the Washington Post, “The exchange of fire was the first in a month between the two sides as the Trump administration seeks to navigate a ceasefire.”Hours later, Trump posted an AI “slop” video of the attack on his Truth Social account; however, he identified the besieged island as Kharg Island, home to the vast majority of the country’s oil exports.According to MS NOW’s Vaughan Hillyard, that led to some distress over a possible major escalation — but now there is a belief that the president did not comprehend what is going on.Speaking with MS NOW host Stephanie Ruhle, he explained, ”I think it's worth noting there, you mentioned the AI video of attempting to bomb Kharg Island that the president posted overnight. We were actually just messaging, a few of us on our team, and we believe that the president of the United States has conflated Kharg Island with Larak Island, which is where the launchers that IRGC launchers were struck.”‘"They are 410 miles away, for another geography lesson, Kharg Island from Larak Island. But it seems like perhaps the president of the United States got confused which islands his military generals were talking to him about here.” - YouTube youtu.be