To paraphrase Mark Twain, Justice Samuel Alito’s retirement has been “much exaggerated.” Yesterday, my phone exploded with calls from reporters about the scoop by NPR’s Nina Totenberg that Alito had retired. As someone who has covered the Court for 30 years and was in the midst of covering yesterday’s opinions for Fox News, it was enough to trigger a panic attack. I had been told that Alito had selected his clerks for the next term and was not retiring. Then NPR issued a retraction that Totenberg was wrong and Alito was still showing signs of judicial life. It turns out that it came down to the perils of pluralization for the press.
NPR issued a retraction stating:
“Earlier today, we erroneously published a story saying that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was retiring. Neither Alito nor the court’s public information office has announced his retirement, and we have retracted the story.”
To her credit, Totenberg later went on “All Things Considered” to apologize for what she called a “rookie mistake.”
The explanation was even more surprising than the mistake itself. I had assumed that Totenberg had gotten a mistaken account from a justice or high-ranking court official. Instead, she explained in a letter to Justice Alito that
“I rushed out of the courtroom after the opinion announcements, and when I realized that the usual rush of folks after a few minutes had not happened, I asked somebody was going on inside, to which the answer was, ‘retirement announcements.’ I didn’t hear the ‘s’ on ‘announcements,’ and I assumed, something no reporter should ever do, that you were retiring. It was the worst professional mistake of my more than 50 years in journalism. I could go on, but I don’t know what else to say, except that I am so, so sorry.”
So it came down to the mistaken pluralization from an account of a third party leaving the chamber?
It is particularly bizarre that Totenberg would run with a story without confirming not only the retirement but also the actual justice. There has also been speculation that Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Sonia Sotomayor might retire. The story came across as more wishful thinking than loose reporting.
While it may be what Totenberg considers “the worst professional mistake of my more than 50 years in journalism,” it is not the first such controversy.
I previously wrote about another challenged Totenberg scoop. As is often the case with Totenberg, the conservative was the villain.
After striking down the Biden vaccine mandate for workplaces, Totenberg triggered a frenzy over Gorsuch not wearing a mask at oral arguments:
“Chief Justice John Roberts, understanding that, in some form asked the other justices to mask up. They all did. Except Gorsuch, who, as it happens, sits next to Sotomayor on the bench. His continued refusal since then has also meant that Sotomayor has not attended the justices’ weekly conference in person, joining instead by telephone.”
It did not matter that Totenberg had previously attacked Gorsuch. The media showed the same hair-triggered response in taking the story viral.
Gorsuch did appear in the last argument in the term without a mask. Ironically, if he had simply worn a commonly used cloth mask, there would have been no outcry, even though the masks do not appear to block the virus, and even CNN’s experts were calling them “little more than facial decorations.”
It is also unclear whether Sotomayor even knew whether anyone or everyone would wear masks during the argument. She had previously stated an intention to participate remotely. Given the lack of protection from most masks (including reused or contaminated N95 masks), Sotomayor likely felt the risk was not worth taking. Yet, Totenberg stated as a fact that Gorsuch’s “continued refusal since then has … meant that Sotomayor has not attended the justices’ weekly conference in person, joining instead by telephone.”
Her story led to a torrent of criticism from other liberal outlets. MSNBC’s Nicole Wallace declared Gorsuch guilty of “anti-mask insanity.” Her colleague Joy Reid accused Gorsuch of virtually standing Sotomayor up in front of a COVID firing squad for his personal enjoyment. Rolling Stone ran with the story “Neil Gorsuch Stands Up for His Right to Endanger Sonia Sotomayor’s Health,” and added “the liberal Supreme Court justice is diabetic and didn’t want to sit next to justices who weren’t wearing masks. Her conservative colleague didn’t care.”
Former senator Claire McCaskill tweeted:
So glad I voted no on this jerk. What kind of guy does this? I could tell in my meeting with him that he thought he was better than everyone else, more important, smarter. Ugh. #Gorsuch
The Daily Kos declared
“it is hard to imagine a bigger shit. But we should not be surprised…Most Americans will find his selfishness incredible, but it is typical of his kind. One trait common to every conservative is a sociopathic lack of empathy.”
Elie Mystal, who has written for Above the Law and the Nation, tweeted
Confirmation of what we all already knew. Whatever you think about masks, Gorsuch, who sits next to Sotomayor at work, just decided to be a dick to a colleague.
Then came the denial of all three justices.
Chief Justice John Roberts also issued a statement that it was false, as claimed, that he asked any of his colleagues to wear masks on the bench. Indeed, previously the justices did not wear masks during arguments. Moreover, Gorsuch is routinely shown wearing a mask around the courthouse.
The joint statement of the two justices insists that Totenberg’s account is entirely false:
“Reporting that Justice Sotomayor asked Justice Gorsuch to wear a mask surprised us. It is false. While we may sometimes disagree about the law, we are warm colleagues and friends.”
Yet when NPR’s ombudsman, Kelly McBride, merely suggested that Totenberg clarify the facts of her story, Totenberg attacked her. Totenberg responded to The Daily Beast and declared that McBride “can write any goddamn thing she wants, whether or not I think it’s true.”
There is speculation (but no proof) that this was a deliberate leak to catch the Supreme Court leaker. Time and charges will tell if that is true.
There is also speculation (with ample proof) that you are a demented conspiracy theorist living in the magical wonderland of fantasy that is the MAGA cult.
There is speculation, with proof evident every day, that people who are triggered by Trump’s successes fall back on a lazy “MAGA cult” terminology to distract from reality.
Der Journalismus ist tot.(enburg)
The elephant in the room that is fraud
It is clearer every day that most people posing as journalists are essentially Democrat campaign workers instead of reliable sources of the news or the truth.
By: Jack Hellner – American Thinker ~ July 1, 2026
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/07/the-elephant-in-the-room-that-is-fraud/
Then people like Brian Stelter, who is a potato, wonders, “Why don’t Americans trust the mainstream press?”
Who is Brian Stelter and why should we care ‘what’ he says?
What age are you?
Fifteen maybe.
Most people know who Brian is.
Too many journalists have abandoned the traditional purpose of informing the public, allowing them to form their own opinions, and instead seek to craft public opinion.
The media is essentially Pravda, and Comrade Totenberg will recover, because she never had a reputation for unbiased reporting to damage.
I theorize that Totenberg and/or her sources/handlers just wanted this made-up story to be “in the air.” At any rate, her explanation for her fake news doesn’t make sense. What does an “s” have to do with anything?
What does an “s” have to do with anything?
Right? Totenberg’s not-very-believable excuse:
I rushed out of the courtroom after the opinion announcements, and when I realized that the usual rush of folks after a few minutes had not happened, I asked somebody was going on inside, to which the answer was, ‘retirement announcements.’ I didn’t hear the ‘s’ on ‘announcements,’ and I assumed, something no reporter should ever do, that you were retiring. It was the worst professional mistake of my more than 50 years in journalism. I could go on, but I don’t know what else to say, except that I am so, so sorry.
Think about that for a minute. She says she heard “retirement announcement” rather than “retirement announcements.” From that she leaps to: there was one single person retiring, and that person had to be none other than Justice Alito. What?! I mean, WTF?
That’s about as believable as X saying he doesn’t comment on a story that makes leftists look silly because he finds them “boring.” They think that just by articulating a totally-ridiculous excuse, they’re entitled to have others believe them. No. The excuse, at a very minimum, has to make sense and/or be at least a little bit credible.
Congress has no power to tax for or fund NPR, PBS, CPB et al., or to regulate the broadcast industry (Article 1, Section 8).
The singular American failure is the judicial branch, with emphasis on the Supreme Court.
Today’s word is “stereotype”
Why is it ever okay to stereotype all Republicans, using the 1% most extreme wing of the party?
Reagan Republicans hate the smaller percentage of MAGA Republicans. Most Democrats hate the less than 1% that support communism.
Most Republicans are not bigots and racists. Most Democrats are not communists.
This seems like caveman logic, hating the 99% for what the 1% says or does. I thought this blog was about intelligent debate.
the less than 1% that support communism
Polling shows a huge percentage of Dems support socialism – which is just communism lite.
Caveman logic is assuming we hate anyone.
I dont. I think most traditional, liberal Democrats, like Bill Maher, the good professor are good people. Would gladly sit down with them, buy them a cup of coffee and talk.
I dont hate the illiberals either. I do think they have the potential to be dangerous with some of their policies and they should not be allow near children.’
There is a sizeable part of the Democrat party that refers to President Trump as everything from Nazi, to King, to racist, rapist, pedo, and more all without evidence. They have also said the same or similar about Trump supporters.
How many times have the likes of Sally, the various annonys called for us to be killed or to kill ourselves? I dont hate them either. But I do think they are unhinged and have serious mental health issues.
There is nothing wrong with hating an idea or ideology.
I hate communism.
I hate racism.
But hatred of an individual and to a lessor extent even a group requires justification.
I hate peodphiles – who would disagree with that ?
I do not “hate” nina Totenberg or X or Sally – though I have no problem stating they are hateful and immoral.
But hatred of an individual and to a lesser extent even a group requires justification. I hate peodphiles – who would disagree with that?
Some people would still disagree with hating the person. They would “love the sinner but hate the sin.”
That’s a Christian idea. They might point to Saul of Tarsus, an anti-Christian terrorist who became Saint Paul. After he was blinded on the Damascus road, Ananias greeted him as “brother.” Jesus himself had compassion on the people who were executing him. To me, putting that into practice is a challenge, but I think they’re onto something worthwhile.
They might, except the evidence suggests that person never existed.
Don’t..
Others may disagree with you.
Welcome to America.
Now try that BS in a Arab nation with their God… see how long you live.
And nuns taught me that Hitler could have done a perfect act of contrition before he died and found his way into heaven.
But I doubt that. Pretty universally everyone thinks hating Hitler is fine
When left wing nuts meet and angel of god on the road from damascus and turn their lives arround – I will be happy to accept them.
Frankly even today – I will go to dinner with them and discuss pretty much anything that they can discuss civilly – but we both know that ain’t happening.
There is no way that could have happened. He performed two murders as his final act on earth. That rules out a perfect act of contrition.
If however the evidence was otherwise, and Hitler truly did sincerely repent, turn to Almighty God, and ask for foregiveness, that would be a different story. Then the nuns would have a point.
Pretty universally everyone thinks hating Hitler is fine
Again, that is not even close to universal. Many people think it’s appropriate to hate Hitler’s actions without having to hate the person. It is a standard Christian understanding that while God punishes unrepentant evildoers, at the same time he loves all people and wants them to repent. Christians who read their Bible are aware it says just that. See 1 Timothy 2:4 (indicating that God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth”).
Tottenberg could care less about ‘good journalism’ – her m.o. is run with the snake to be the first to the watering hole and apologize later if it bites!! .. as an aside, for all the chatter to-day on this Forum about USA-ISRAEL.. anyone who watched the LIVE broadcast from Jerusalem this am of Amb. Mike Huckabee’s presentation re: the USA finally building a permanent new US EMBASSY in Jerusalem saw that the USA-ISRAEL connection is still strong, on both sides, if not the strongest one of mutual allies.
If not for the Scofield zionist cult which Oxford exported to the US in the early 20th century, israel’s significance to the USA would rightly be perceived as the evil warmongering scumbag group that it truly is. The primary supporter in the West of the modern Zionist cult are the fake christians known as evangelists. The only good news these fake Christians truly know is Perpetual War. May every last one of these possessed Souls spend an eternity in hell , the sooner the better.
These lying putrid disgusting creatures are the primary reason that the US has had sum total 15 to 20 years of peace not fomenting a war somewhere during our two and a half century history.
You don’t have to believe me, just look up the quotes of lieutenant colonel smedley Butler of the US Marine Corps , then the most highly decorated marine who proudly fought in five Wars. When his career was over he repented and truthfully claimed that every God forsaken War he fought was a banker’s War.
Beyond Death misery bloodshed and destruction and making Orphans of children, the primary purpose of war is to deflate the value of currency and create a landscape for the banks to loan money during the rebuilding process.
^ Says the head of the American Neo-Nazi part ^
Yes you must be right because I remember the bankers getting Japan to take over the Pacific and then attack us as well as the bankers then getting Germany to take over Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland and then march into Paris…before then declaring war on the USA.
As I said call me a liar all day i don’t care. You personally are calling Smedley Butler a liar a man who fought in five Wars for this country. In case you didn’t know you stupid pathetic idiot the United States goaded Japan into attacking Pearl Harbor. Watch the beginning of the most recent Midway movie. The US put up a naval blockade and was starving japan to death intentionally to go them into attacking us so that we could justify entering the war.
Go ahead and state how proud you are that this country has spent 95% of its time fighting Wars . Go ahead and try to tell readers how successful this war in Iran has been for the United States how great it is that fuel costs has skyrocketed how great it is that a quarter of a watermelon cost me $10 yesterday.
Patrick Buchanan in his seminal book on Hitler and World War II makes it crystal clear did Hitler did not want a World War, that rather the warmonger churchill was largely responsible for World War II. I guess it’s news to you that’s a Treaty of Versailles after World War I practically guaranteed hitler’s rise to power.
It is as amazing as it is disheartening that warmongering scumbags like you do not see the parallel how World Wars 1 and 2 led to the demise of England as the world’s Premier Western power and the fact that the US and it’s warmongering is leading to our demise right now.
If the oil does not start flowing fast through the strait of Hormuz within a few weeks, us’s entire strategic oil Reserve will be empty and $6 a gallon gas will be a distant memory.
Warmongering scumbag idiots like you should take a look at the 10 points of the memorandum of understanding between the US and iran. I’m sure you didn’t notice it but iran won this war.
Readers should take note of George Washington’s farewell address in which he forbids permanent relationships such as the US has had with Israel. Washington warned that this country should have no permanent entanglements with foreign countries. All Foreign relationships should be temporary and exist only as long as the US benefits. Anyone claiming that the US benefits except to create justifications for Wars by its relationship with Israel is a liar a fool or both
Breaking news nina totenberg is a progressive pOS. Thanks to our Intrepid reporter for detailing the depth of her depraved blatant lies and those of her Progressive sympathizers.
Nina Totenkopf, Gestapo for the Left.
The defining feature of the Left, nowadays, is Jew-hatred – perhaps ironically, b/c they call everyone else a “Nazi.” Well, that and communism. In fact, those two things are interrelated, as Jew-hatred is fueling this new rise of communist Dem primary winners.
https://nypost.com/2026/06/30/opinion/the-dems-have-assimilated-themselves-into-a-jew-hating-cult/
Yes, the Left is unhinged in that regard and is a potential danger to Jewish people. On the Right, the unwillingness to question the US relationship with Israel and Israel’s actions is more dangerous to the US overall. Neither position is a ‘good thing.’
Oldfish is saying sure the left is filled with anti-Semitic haters, but the right needs to abandon Israel at a time of peril.
Mostly Israel is not “in peril’ right now.
But they ARE taking advantage of the current circumstances to accomplish as much as possible towards a better future for Israel and most of the other arab countries are seeing that as a better future for Them too.
Increasingly the Palestinians are seen as their own worst enemy – not by Europe, not be the US – but by other Arab nations.
While Iran as seen as not just anti-american, and anti-Israel but as a threat to the peace and stability of the entire region.
Israel is taking advantage of that shift in Arab point of view to take out Iran, to take out Hamas, and to Take out Hezbollah.
And those Arab countries quietly see that as a good thing.
That is a very important shift and it portends well for the future of the Mideast.
. . . more dangerous to the US overall.
Just the opposite. There is a war going on between global jihadism and western civilization. Israel is on the front lines of that war, doing an amazing job keeping the forces of destruction at bay. The jihadist saying is that Israel is the “little satan” and America is the “great satan.” They need to take out Israel as a gateway to destroying America and the west, and installing a reign of indescribably cruel totalitarian darkness. Those who know what’s going on are aware of this situation, and recognize the indispensable service Israel is doing to preserving liberty and western civilization.
Oldman, that was me that replied to Oldfish mocking him for claiming the right’s relationship with Israel is our real threat.
These Jew haters, and yes, that is what they are, will blame Israel for everything without ever blaming all of the Arab and Muslim nations that want to destroy us.
Is there anything more moronic than Gays for Palestine? This is the depth of their ignorance.
I appreciate it, Bobby.
Gays for Palestine
As Bibi said, that’s like “Chickens for KFC.” Israel has the most robust protections for LGBTQ civil rights. By contrast in Gaza they through LGBTQ people off buildings. Yet, Scott Wiener, a prominent gay Democrat who has spearheaded pro-transgender rights legislation, was surrounded and berated by protesters at San Francisco’s annual Trans March on Friday as they accused him of supporting genocide in Gaza. It is so totally moronic.
Here’s a typical low-IQ dem saying gays have lost rights under the Trump admin, but when asked what rights have they lost, she couldn’t name any:
https://x.com/TONYxTWO/status/2072143003834065026
Bottom line: the 2-state solution should really be called the 24-state solution. Arabs already have 22 states, virtually all the land in the middle east, and virtually all the oil. The Jews have a tiny strip of desert with no oil to speak of, and that is the only state they want. It’s so totally ridiculous that it’s even an issue.
HB
I did not expect Trump 47 to act in the Mideast.
I Fully expect him to be muscular in the western hemisphere.
I did NOT expect Trump 47 to be the same as Trump 45 – and her absolutely Is not.
I spent years in a legal battle over my fathers estate – that litteraly turned my hair grey and I expereinced Anbxiety and depression which I had never before had in my life – nor ofrtunately since.
Trump spent his entire first term under siege. And from 2020 through 2024 facing the very real prospect of Jail in extremely hostile places with lawless courts and enemies.
This did not crush him, debilitate him – he not only came out stronger – but WHILE fighting for his life – he planned his future presidency.
What we are seeing now is NOT what would have happened if he had won in 2020.
Trump became president with the very tepid support of the GOP,
Many senate republicans were openly hostile.
Today he OWNS the republican party – from top to bottom – not just the congressmen but the voters, the whole thing.
He came to DC in 2025 on a mission – much bigger than in 2017 – to remake the US government and to remake the world.
This has not been trouble free, nor do I agree with everything he is doing – but anyone who thinks he is not looking to change the world is stupid.
Nor is this the idiot Nazi authoritarian nonsense of the left.
In another post I outlined what I am seeing in the mideast – It still could fail.
But this is NOT Bush’s invasion of Iraq – nor is it some plan of lonely president Trump in the oval office doing what little he can as a president surrounded by hostile forces. That was Trump 45.
This is more like FDR and his dream team or brain trust Trump has recruited a very large number of people – mostly political misfits, but people who are ambitious, capable, and managing to work well together.
I actually like(d) Noem and Bondi – and in any other administration – even Trump 45 they would still be present. But neither clicked.
Trump is running this administration liek “the apprentice” – deliver or “your fired” – and these people are delivering.
NOT because they are toadies – and not even because they share EXACTLY Trump’s view of the future – but because they are ambitious and they KNOW that A successful Trump 47 will be a huge win for their own ambitions.
Never in my life have I seen an administration work so well and well together. And they are fighting an uphill battle against entrenched powers and winning.
I do not know if Trump will fully succeed in his ambitions – but he really is working to “make america great again” – to the benefit of the entire world.
If Lulu loses what is a very close election in Brazil this year – almost the entirety of South america will have tossed the socialists out.
While Trump has left Maduro’s socialist VP in power – Venezuela is aggressively playing ball with the US.
They are helping Eliminate TdA and Drug dealers. They are shipping more oil that ever before.
Most of the rest of South america and lots of Central america has Free market capitalist governments.
The writing is on the wall for Cuba – Cuba is not going to be socialist in 2028. And we all KNOW that just like Gaza Cuba can QUICKLY be transformed to a prosperous paradise.
You wrote about Araba and Muslim nations that want to destroy us or israel.
Aside from Iran – name one ? There is not a single Arab nation that has not picked Israel over Iran.
From Egypt through to Turkey – things are not perfect – and will not be – but they are far better than anytime in my lifetime.
There are 5 majopr real powers in the Mideast. Egypt – which is content being the regional power in north africa and has had friendly relations with Israel for a long time. Turkey which was for a long time non-sectarian but it becoming more muslim AND looking to be a regional power. But Turkey is NOT sponsoring terrorism anywhere – they WILL engage in power struggles with other nations – though likely short of War though they are definitely one of the major military powers in the region. Turkey also is on the bridge into Europe and like Egypt has power aspirations outside the mideast.
Saudi Arabia – which is extremely wealthy and has very capable leadership and military but was not able to deal with Yemen, and at best is a xounter weight to Iran
Iran which is the most dangerous power in the mideast today – or Was in February. They have a large population and clearly aspire to be the regional super power.
They threaten their neighbors export terrorism and destabalize the entirte region – and they have either been substantially or totally defanged.
And finally israel – with a population 1/5th of Saudi Arabian and 1/10th or IRan and no oil to speak of – they are the economic and military super power of the region
And whatever other criticism you may have of them – their aspiratioons for power and greatness do NOT threaten their neighbors – if anything they benefit their neighbors.
It is highly likely we will see oil pipelines from SA UAE and Qatar to Haifa in the next few years – the Gulf states will be able to export oil through israel to the Mediterranean without disruption NO MATER WHAT
I would say that will change the world and the mideast – but without it – the world and the mideast is already changing.
Separatley Trump is Playing Xi like a drum.
he shifts from economic war with Xi to best budies moment to moment – based on whether Xi is giving him what he wants
and Xi is Giving Trump and awful lot of what he wants. China has MOSTLY stayed out of the Iran conflict and MOSTLY stayed out the the Ukraine conflict.
Americans were renting about US gasoline prices – but Trump easily could have solved that – he did NOT, because in return for staying out of the Iran conflict Trump arranged for China to get much of the oil it needs.
Most analysis of this conflcit is incredibly shallow – but the purposes of the conflict go FAR beyond iran.
The conflict with Iran cut off 40% of Russias munitions supplies. That flipped the war of attrition in Ukraine – Zelensky now has “all the cards”
Putin demanded that Belarus open a second front and that it allow Russia to stage Drones – Belarus – which has been a puppet of Putin for 40 years said NO.
Zelensky promised to rain h311 on them if the joined Russia – AND promised to protect Belarus against Russia if they did not.
Many many military expoertts are questioning when Crimea falls – Russia can not supply Crimea anymore. It could very easily reach the point where Crimea becaomes a reverse Russian Stalingrad – Germany lost 450,000 troops trapped in Staligrad because Hitler refused to allow them to leave when they had the chance. Crimea is isolated. Ukraine is doing significantly better in the Donbas now, and afgter years of Russia brining the war to the Ukrainian people – it is not Ukraine bringin the war to the Russian people. Russia is running out of tanks, airplanes, weapons of all kinds, it is running out of men without expanding conscription to places that will cause political instability in Russia, it is running out of money and Russia is selling less and less oil.
This conflict as well as the tariff and other conflicts that preceded it have shown Xi how incredibly vulnerable China is.
US forces in Venezuela and Iran obliterated the state of the art Russian and chinese air defenses.
Xi has absolutely zero doubt that in any conflict with the US – China will be naked to US airpower. While China has significant military resources – if the rest of its military performs as well as Chinese air defenses did in Iran and Venezeulla – they will be wiped out quickly. The chinese navy is large – but it is really a coastal navy and very few doubt that the chinese navy would last very long against the forces the US already has in the pacific.
The chinese dream of trying to take Taiwan is DEAD.
But worse – even if China actually managed to land on – even overrun Taiwan – The US navy would blockage China from the entire world.
The impact of the US blockade of Iran was devastating – but China is FAR MORE vulnerable.
China’s economy is 1/3 at least global trade that would entirely cease instantly. Chine is more dependent on global trade than Iran and far more vulnerable.
the blockade of Iran was a demonstration for China and Russia.
Chinba is not going to give up its ambitions – but it is far more likely to “play nice” with Trump.
The more we are learning about Iran the more it appears that the air strikes in July of last year were both necescary and effective.
China had enough U235 to make a dozen atomic weapons in less than a month, and after the raids is was burried beyond Iran’s reach – and they have admitted that in negotiations.
I am NOT sure that this conflict starting in March was necessary immediately
But I do think it was Trump flexing US power to the world – it was a message to Europe, to China, to Russia and to the world about US power – military power for sure – but power generally.
Do you think Trade negtiations are going to go better or worse after this ?
Do you think Mexico is going to be more or less willing to cooperate with Trump on myriads of issues after this ?
Do you think there is a nation in the world that is not more likely to give Trump what he wants after this – especially if he parks an aircraft carrier off their coast ?
Trump 47 is looking to change the entire world – and he wants to be remembered FOREVER for doing so.
The left CORRECTLY notes his penchant for building monuments to himself.
Trump wants battleships named after him – doctrines named after him, Wings of the white house named after him. Peace plans named after him.
He wants the american people to crave him into Mt. Rushmore after he does.
The one thing the left is correct about him is that he has a massive ego.
And to be remembered as he wants – he MUST “Make America Great Again”
Trump did not need to end the Iran conflict in 90 days. But he absolutely needs it to be short, decisive, transformative and US casualty free.
He is looking to prove that US hard power can be used effectively – as opposed to almost every other use since WWII.
Trump sent ground forces to the mideast – the 82nd airborne and marines. I am certain there were planes to pit troops on Kargh island and possibly take the iranian side of the straits. I suspect therfe were also plans to take and hold the Tehran Airport
Trump was prepared to do those – but did not pull the trigger – because they would have produces higher casualties and increased the possibility of the US getting sucked into a Forever war.
Lots of people rant that the current deal – whatever that is is no better than the JCPOA – that is garbage. The deal does not matter.
What matter is that Trump gets what he wants or we come back.
This is a diffent approach than anything the US has used since WWII.
Trump is using US hard power to weaken recalcitrant regimes – not destroy them – to Spank them.
To make them pay a price for oposing us. To creat all kinds of internal problems for them top distract them from interfering with the US and their neighbors – not to defeat them.
You said it John
It is highly likely we will see oil pipelines from SA UAE and Qatar to Haifa in the next few years – the Gulf states will be able to export oil through israel to the Mediterranean without disruption NO MATER WHAT.
___________________________________
This will take away Irans power.
hullbooby,
You made my point. Saying we should question the relationship with Israel has triggered you to blast off into accusations of hatred and shutdown of differing opinions.
You are why I no longer support Israel – a narrative that requires such a vigorous and pricey defense ( USD700M ) is defective.
For decades I would have said I support Israel 100%. As of the last two years or so I do not want my tax $ to go there and beyond that I just don’t care. Pure indifference, not hatred. My view is not unique. Israel is losing the American people.
Correct – and it is a war that the jihadist very nearly appear to have lost.
Ireland and England fought for over 1000 years. I would NEVER have bet on Peace in Ireland in my lifetime.
I am of irish descent and went to Ireland on my honeymoon 40+ years ago.
Beautiful and poor country.
Today it has a higher standard of living than the US.
Peace can bring about rapid improvement.
While Trump’s words are often provocative and Triggering – Trump was/is correct about Gaza.
It should be a jewel on the mediterainian – the west bank might not be viable as an independent nation – but Gaza is.
All it needs is peace.
Trump made Qatar and the rest of the arab countries see that. That makes HAMA the problem – Not israel.
Gaza is not an open air prison – it is the garden of eden $hit on by Hamas.
Lebanon is biblical famous as a wondrous place – it has been a $hithold most of my lifetime – Because of Hezbolla.
Israel for its own reasons, but with the cooperation of Lebanon is eliminating Hamas – Israel will benefit – but so will Lebanon and the region.
Dis-empowering Iran makes the entire Mideast more peaceful.
It is possible that by the end of Trump’s term we will see in the mideast what we saw in Ireland.
And if we due – Trump deserves the nobel peace prize more than any recipient ever – more than even Jimmy Carter.
it is possible – maybe even likely that 3 years is too short to transform the entire mideast.
So I may be overly optomistic.
But it is also true that this current conflict is actually about the real possibility of a lasting peace int he mideast.
The most critical element to that is a significantly weakened Iran.
The best outcome would be for the Iranian people to rise up and depose the tyrants and rejoin the world.
But even as a basket case unable to export terror – the rest of the mideast will thrive as it has not done before.
OF – while you are correct that the US could be less biased towards Israel – Israel is NOT a danger to anyone who is not a danger to her.
I would further note that while it has been a very long time coming – Israel is being accepted in the Mideast and this conflict demonstrates that.
All of the Gulf nations joined Israel in opposing Iran.
Trump was far more impacted by what the UAE or Qatar wanted than Israel or the EU or Nato.
And not only is most of the mideast increasingly linked to Israel – but Israel is replacing the US as their allie against terrorists and nations like Iran that would destabalize the region.
Most of the Gulf has come to grasp that Iran is NOT just anti-american and Anti-Israel – their goal is to destabalize the entire region and become a regional superpower.
There is little doubt that Arab Nations trust Trump to have their backs on that.
But they do NOT Trust america to do so. Trump will be gone in less than 3 years.
With a Harris or AOC or Newsom in the WH – it is Israel that the Saudis or Qatar’s can rely on for protection – NOT the US.
That is starting to become aparent.
That is a very good thing for the mideast.
It is far better for every other arab country to have Israel as the regional superpower than Iran.
As you have brought up a different subject – the Iranian people have assassinated several IRGC leaders.
i have lost track of the on again off again of the peace talks – but despite whatever stupid thing Iran is doing today – the Straits of Hormuz remain open.
45 ships went through yesterday.
I do not know if Iran has lost the will to close the straits or the ability to do so – my bet is the latter.
But it does not matter – because if the straits are opened – Iran has lost. That is their only consequential card to play.
The US and Iran have been trading blows for days – but the world mostly is no longer paying attention.
Oil is way down, the straits are open, and no one cares about the rest.
If it takes a week or a year to reach an agreement with Iran
If no agreement is ever reached.
If the Iranian people revolt successfully
If any of myriads of things
Iran will still not matter to the american people for a very long time.
The bolsheviks and subsequent Communist Party were as antisemitic as their Czarist predecessors. Both blamed bad news or economic malaise on the jews.
Today’s Dems, DSA, are morphing into the same. An historic first, a combo of Nazism and Communism.
I think this insight is historic. Douglas Murray says it best: “Israel is the only country not allowed to win wars.” In a three-minute clip, he basically summarizes everything, including the losing game of proportionality. There is nothing Israel can say to defend itself to some, because there are those people who simply hate Jews and Israel for no reason, or at least, no reason they can rationally verbalize.
We hear ludicrous comments like the one below:
“The unwillingness to question the US relationship with Israel and Israel’s actions is more dangerous to the US overall.”
That is blatantly untrue. Israel has never threatened the US, nor has it targeted anyone except those who kill them, and try to exterminate them in this small portion of the Levant.
Historically, the US has halted Israel’s momentum in almost every war Israel has fought. The US frequently made Israeli troops pull back to their original positions, as in the 1956 Suez crisis and the 1973 Yom Kippur war, even though it was the other nations who were the aggressors. One has to laugh when some say Israel controls the US; in reality, it is the US that exerts massive control over Israeli actions, just as it does with many countries.
I wait for the antisemites, the anti-Zionists, and those who mask their animosity but just wish all Jews disappeared. The Jewish people will be here long after their detractors are dead, so maybe these critics ought to thrash out what caused their exact hatred so we can finally have the real truth on the table. But they never have, and they never will.
If Bibi hadn’t had a sted policy of periodically “mowing the lawn” in Gaza every few years, I might have gone along with Meyer. (Summer 2014 death toll: 2000 Gazans, of which 500 were children.) Israeli pre invasion death toll: 1. A Bedouin whise village was not thought worthy of Iron Dome.
Any nation or community that wants to live at peace with Israel can easily do so at no cost to themselves. They just have to refrain from attacking Israel. Then Israel will allow them to live at peace – and will go farther, helping them with argriculture, technology, disaster aid, and on and on and on. It’s really very simple: don’t attack Israel. And voilà! peaceful coexistence.
Michael it is odd that you never mention why Israel has had to act??? I guess every few years they get sick of taking missile attacks, terror attacks and eventually the mass murder, rape and kidnapping of October 7th.
Bibi DS is just like TDS, it gives leftist morons a fig leaf of an excuse as to why they hate Republicans/Jews. Think I am wrong? How is it that the Bush guys were Nazis? How is it that Romney was a right wing monster? How is it that when Trump was being sued and prosecuted in multiple locales at the same time and he looked vulnerable to be beaten the “Ron DeSantis” is worse than Trump started because they thought he might win the nomination.
Don’t believe this crap. The left will call any Republican a Nazi (ironically as they attack Jews) and will never support Israel even if Mother Theresa was the PM.
PS. The takeovers at universities and the pro-Palestine garbage started BEFORE Israel even went into Gaza so stop it.
There is no such thing as quiet in Israel. Israel must prepare for the next salvo of tens of thousands of rockets and missiles. That means a nation cannot survive on defense alone. What you call “mowing the lawn” is an offensive necessity to halt unjustified, ever-increasing attacks on civilians. It is clear from history that following those offensive activities, the attacks on Israeli civilians dropped significantly.
The geography of Israel within the 1949 Armistice borders is inherently precarious. It faces threats on three sides, with the narrowest midsection of the country stretching a mere nine or ten miles wide. Tell me how to defend a state with that geography before passing blame. I have visited people living directly on the border. In a small local park, just a block from there, I asked about their lives and the many entry doors scattered throughout the grass of this small park. Those are underground shelters. The children playing there have a 15-second warning to jump inside, where the family meets them, because the entire shelter system is linked together. Would you have your children or grandchildren live under those conditions? This group of Israelis protects the border with their own arms and skills. It takes the army too long to get there.
The death of Arab children is horrible, but it is entirely preventable. All the neighbors have to do is leave Israel alone and stop the bombing. Why are Israeli losses comparatively low? Because Israel invests its resources in protecting its citizens, while the leadership in Gaza spends its capital building attack infrastructure and bombing Israeli civilians.
Seriously, i’m very interested in your opinion. Please opine from your Seat of Wisdom regarding the fact that the US has had 15 to 20 years of peace and it’s 250 year history. Why is that? Is that a good thing? Has the average American reading this right now benefited from that 90 % ratio the US has spent fomenting wars around the world?
Why is it that you support Ukraine? Why is it that you would have (rightfully) supported the North fighting the South? Why is it that you would have (rightfully) supported DEMOCRAT FDR and WWII? Why is that you would have supported DEMOCRAT Woodrow Wilson going into WWI? Why is it that you would have supported Washington and the Revolution?
Should the US, the world’s greatest power and the keeper of freedom for commerce and free oceans, have not stopped Iraq under Hussain when he attacked Kuwait?
Was our Iraq involvement after 9/11 wrong? Probably. Was Vietnam a mistake? Yes, in hindsight the DEMOCRAT presidents should not have escalated as they did. But was the USSR an innocent that should have had a free reign around the globe? You know, like Hitler had for years.
So stop attacking the US, and think about China, Russia, Iran and N. Korea for a change.
Though not in favor of some of al the wars the US was involved in, I interpret your question as, how have you benefited? I’ll start with, you are not speaking German.
I thought Nina was an idiot when I stopped listening to NPR news 20 years ago. Why doesn’t she retire to Cuba or some other paradise of her choice
Her choice… your cellar, along with your f-ed up family.
NPR Public Editor Kelly McBride openly admitted, “…it was a result of an honest mistake and a rush to publish. Had it been true, NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post and many other newsrooms all would have published their stories within minutes of each other.”
Well,
Ain’t that the truth, as many of us have previously expressed our distaste for unverified, ‘selective-fact” clickbait reporting, often from “anonymous” sources.
Remember those names from the mouth of the horse: “…NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post and many other newsrooms.”
https://www.foxnews.com/media/npr-reveals-how-misheard-announcement-led-falsely-claiming-justice-alito-retiring
it was a result of an honest mistake
Interesting weasel words. Recklessness and gross negligence are technically not intentional conduct. It’s pure spin to call that an “honest mistake.”
“. . . expressed our distaste for unverified . . .”
After being on the receiving end of such shoddy journalism, I asked a journalist: “What is their method of fact-checking?”
His answer: “Other journalists. And Google.”
Is that you Sammy Alito?
It’s NPR. Why would anyone expect more?
Good point. It wasn’t just Totenberg. Her editors didn’t require any corroboration or sourcing. It was a full-on institutional failure.
Which Supreme is close to her?? Who is the Supreme Cour leaker? Was this a trap?
Just as well, Nina Totenberg’s mistaken missive be the foreshadow of ‘retirement announcements’.
Seats that need to retire and refilled need to begin now, before the end of Trumps term.
The only downside is that, whereas Alito and Thomas are solid, their replacements may be squishy like Barrett.
That maybe so, but it is inevitable Alito and Thomas will retire. Better start vetting now rather than later (post Trump).
[That said, better also start thinking of a Post-Trump world]
I offer up this prayer every day:
Dear Lord, you’ve taken my favorite actor, Robert Duvall, my favorite comedian, Catherine O’Hara, and my favorite musician, Bob Weir.
I just wanted to let you know my favorite president is Donald Trump.
Now even you pray to the “invisible man in the sky”, Lawn Boy?
People on the Left are consumed by the assassination chic culture they have created. Leftists are mentally-deranged monsters.
The Left is consumed with hatred and violence. It’s not getting any better.
OldManFromKS,
Correct.
The premise of your joke is that you are asking God to take Trumps mortal life before his time. But praying for someone’s death is, generally speaking, an immoral act. Additionally you seem to be trying to pull a fast one on the Almighty. That sounds like at least two strikes to me. So if there is a God, and he’s anything like he’s portrayed, I think you are indirectly asking to spend eternity in a rather warm climate with no air conditioning.
Nina’s foolishness received more condemnation and press coverage than the young girl whose blood still cries out and remains where she was slain. George Lloyd is a hero.
Laken Riley? Who be that?
Not enough hatred out there today.
This is what you get when you leave an 82 years old hard left dementia patient on the air. Didn’t we learn anything from 4 years or Potato Joe Biden?
82 years old hard left dementia patient
That’s what she and Joe Biden have in common.
Nina Totenberg has been at NPR from its beginning. Anyone who listened to her on “All Things Considered” will know that she is a hard-line leftist. She was, and still may be, married to a former Democratic Senator from Colorado. She has become the face of NPR.
And all this time I thought it was “All things embittered”.
I can’t wait to read Gemini’s take on this. Where is X/George/Svelaz to copy/paste it?