President Donald Trump accused Iran of subverting the two-week ceasefire agreement he announced on Tuesday.
In a new Truth Social post, Trump said Iran is doing a "very poor job" of allowing oil to travel through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that accounts for 20% of the global energy trade. One of the conditions of the ceasefire was that Iran would let ships through the Strait of Hormuz to ease the recent spike in energy prices resulting from the war.
"Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing Oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz. That is not the agreement we have!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
President Donald Trump's Department of Justice was mocked by political analysts and observers on Thursday for its "insane" attempt to get back at a "special club" that rejected the president years ago.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump's DOJ has launched an antitrust investigation into the NFL for allegedly harming consumers by allowing games to be streamed on platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. Trump tried several times unsuccessfully to purchase an NFL team between the 1980s and 2010s. His bid to purchase the Baltimore Colts before the team relocated to Indianapolis was rejected by the team's late owner, Jim Irsay. In 2014, banks refused to lend Trump money in his quest to purchase the Buffalo Bills, according to reports.
The investigation was revealed at a time when Trump's DOJ is facing growing criticism for acting as the president's personal defense firm. According to the report, it revolves around the Sports Broadcasting Act, which gives teams the right to collectively negotiate TV packages.
"Media companies, regulators and members of Congress have raised concerns in recent months over how difficult it is for consumers to be able to watch their favorite sports games as a result of rights deals in which leagues offer smaller packages of games to streamers," the report reads in part.
Political analysts and observers reacted to the report on social media.
"Crazy how the Trump admin suddenly cares about antitrust violations when it's related to the special club that rejected him a few decades ago," Mike Tremblay, a transit planner in Portland, Maine, posted on Bluesky.
"This is incredible, they're going after America's most popular sport? Even if they have a point (they probably do), absolute scenes to do this from a popularity perspective," George Pearkes, a macro strategist, posted on Bluesky.
"Gotta wonder how much of this is Trump trying to get back at the NFL because the NFL a) never allowed Trump to buy a team; b) had Green Day and Bad Bunny perform at the Super Bowl," Josh Stern, executive editor at Morning Brew, posted on Bluesky.
Reactions were mounting Thursday after President Donald Trump dropped a lengthy, angry post calling out his former allies, whom he referred to as "losers."
Trump took to his Truth Social platform to rage at multiple MAGA voices: Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens and Alex Jones. The president's move revealed even more ideological fractures amid the already divided MAGA coalition.
"I know why Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones have all been fighting me for years, especially by the fact that they think it is wonderful for Iran, the Number One State Sponsor of Terror, to have a Nuclear Weapon — Because they have one thing in common, Low IQs," Trump wrote. "They’re stupid people, they know it, their families know it, and everyone else knows it, too! Look at their past, look at their record. They don’t have what it takes, and they never did!"
The internet was stunned by the president's comments, including conservative followers. Some sided with Trump and continued to support him, while others noted just how much the conservative party had ruptured.
"All of the lying must be exposed. Call them all out! Go Go Go!! God bless President and Mrs. Trump. We, the People, love you both so much! Amen," Tiffany Virili, Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. admin and MAGA supporter, wrote on Truth Social.
"They are SCUM! Grifters! Traitors! WE STAND WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP!!!!!!" Eric Reimer, an attorney, veteran and MAGA follower, wrote on Truth Social.
"That is a big fissure in the trump camp," tennis champion Martina Navratilova wrote on X.
"Absolutely insane. When will the Republican Doormat Congress find their courage?" Democratic congressional candidate and Army veteran Fred Wellman wrote on X.
"'I don't have any friends left!!!!'" Canadian radio personality and political commentator Dean Blundell wrote on X.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), one of President Donald Trump's most vocal critics on Capitol Hill, was leading in his primary election to maintain his seat in Congress.
The rebel Republican has targeted Trump and his administration in a push to seek justice for survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and a new poll from Quantus Insights released Thursday showed that Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District race had Massie ahead by nine points, with more than 46 percent of support compared to Trump-endorsed candidate Ed Gallrein, who had 37 percent, The Daily Beast reported. Fourteen percent of people polled said they were undecided, and could make a key difference in deciding the primary on May 19.
Trump has been attacking Massie throughout the campaign in deep red MAGA country and spoke on March 11 at a campaign event promoting his support for Gallrein.
"Our polling shows Thomas Massie with a clear advantage in KY-4. He has the stronger ballot position, the deeper reservoir of prior support, and a district electorate that appears more open to independence than simple allegiance politics," Quantus Insights reported.
"While having a less than 10-point lead is not ideal for an incumbent, they noted it’s still a strong position in a two-candidate race," according to The Beast.
Massie's challenger could be facing a tough battle ahead of the primary.
Nearly 50 percent of voters polled in the Kentucky district said they wanted an independent candidate "who stands for his principles, while just 37 percent wanted one who strongly supports Trump," The Beast reported.
"It suggests this is not an electorate looking simply for obedience or alignment. It is an electorate that still has room for a self-willed, independent conservative and that is precisely the identity Massie has cultivated for years," according to Quantus Insights.
President Donald Trump howled at the Wall Street Journal's conservative editorial board on Thursday after they published an editorial calling his declared victory in the war on Iran "premature."
On Wednesday, the editorial board warned Trump that it was "too early" to declare victory in the conflict, considering that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and Iran continues to attack U.S. allies in the region. Trump responded in a fiery Truth Social post, saying the editors will "eat their words."
"The Wall Street Journal, one of the worst and most inaccurate 'Editorial Boards' in the World, stated that I 'declared premature victory in Iran.' Actually, it is a Victory, and there’s nothing 'premature' about it!" Trump wrote. "Because of me, IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON and, very quickly, you’ll see Oil start flowing, with or without the help of Iran and, to me, it makes no difference, either way."
"The Wall Street Journal will, as usual, live to eat their words," he added. "They are always quick to criticize, but never to admit when they’re wrong, which is most of the time!"
President Donald Trump raged on Thursday at reports that Iran is charging tolls to ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump's comments came at a time when Iran and the U.S. have agreed to a two-week ceasefire as they discuss ending the war. Multiple outlets have reported that one of the 10 points in Iran's proposed deal is the ability to charge up to $2 million per ship in tolls to fund its rebuilding efforts.
"There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait — They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!" Trump wrote.
Podcaster Joe Rogan sounded off against President Donald Trump's war in Iran on Thursday during a new episode of his popular show, "The Joe Rogan Experience."
Rogan and his guest, comedian Duncan Trussell, sharply criticized the war in Iran during the episode. At one point, Trussell said he felt "stupid" for believing Trump when he claimed that he would not start any new wars during the 2024 campaign. He described the war as the "same old bulls---" that MAGA voters have grown tired of, and supported Trump because he seemed to represent the opposite.
"Not only is it the same old bulls---, but it's one of the ones that makes the lease amount of sense in terms of like when they did it and how they did it," Rogan said. "They blew up the leader during Ramadan. Did you really have to do it now? Were you really convinced this time that they are two weeks away from making a nuclear weapon? Are we f------ sure?"
"It's not like we haven't heard that before, right?" Rogan continued, referring to the Trump administration's previous strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities in 2025. Trump declared Iran's nuclear capabilities "completely obliterated" following those strikes.
A New York Times reporter suggested that first lady Melania Trump's denial of her connection to Jeffrey Epstein on Thursday revealed more questions than answers.
Lulu Garcia-Navarro, an on-air CNN contributor, described how Trump's motive behind the statement could clear up some of the comments she made. And although it was unclear what drove the decision to speak out publicly for the first time, Garcia-Navarro considered several potential scenarios.
"Listen, what is everyone asking here? Why now? Why now?" Garcia-Navarro asked.
"It doesn't make sense politically for the reasons that everyone has outlined," she added. "It doesn't even make sense in her own timeline, other than you were suggesting because of her book, or someone else was suggesting because of her book, she did mention her book in that statement, which was, I have to say, a little strange. But why now? And so I don't think we know the answer to that question, but the answer to that question will tell us what, what exactly she is trying to address here, because everyone is sort of saying, what pictures is she talking about? What stories is she talking about? She doesn't actually address precisely what it is that she is trying to tamp down and reject. We don't know. And so once we understand that, I think we'll have a better sense of what exactly she was trying to get ahead of."
President Donald Trump raged against his former allies, whom he called "losers," in a meandering Truth Social rant on Thursday.
"I know why Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones have all been fighting me for years, especially by the fact that they think it is wonderful for Iran, the Number One State Sponsor of Terror, to have a Nuclear Weapon — Because they have one thing in common, Low IQs," Trump wrote. "They’re stupid people, they know it, their families know it, and everyone else knows it, too! Look at their past, look at their record. They don’t have what it takes, and they never did!"
Trump's comments came at a time when his administration is facing significant criticism for its handling of the war in Iran. Carlson, Kelly, Owens, and Jones have all criticized the president over the war, as well as the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
"These so-called 'pundits' are LOSERS, and they always will be! Now Fake News CNN, The Failing New York Times, and all of the other Radical Left 'News' Organizations, are 'hailing' them, and giving them 'positive' press for the first time in their lives. They’re not 'MAGA,' they’re losers, just trying to latch on to MAGA," Trump continued.
"As President, I could get them on my side anytime I want to, but when they call, I don’t return their calls because I’m too busy on World and Country Affairs and, after a few times, they go 'nasty,' just like Marjorie 'Traitor' Brown, but I no longer care about that stuff, I only care about doing right for our Country," he added.
"MAGA is about WINNING and STRENGTH in not allowing Iran to have Nuclear Weapons," he added. "MAGA is about MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and these people have no idea how to do that, BUT I DO, because THE UNITED STATES IS NOW THE “HOTTEST” COUNTRY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!"
An official in President Donald Trump's Department of Defense could be in legal jeopardy after he disclosed the murky sale of stock that he held in Elon Musk's artificial intelligence firm, according to a new report.
The Guardian reported on Thursday that Emil Michael, the undersecretary for research and engineering at the Pentagon, disclosed selling a position in Musk's xAI company, valued between $500,000 and $1 million, according to an ethics disclosure the outlet reviewed. Michael may have pocketed about $24 million in profit from the sale, according to the report.
Musk's xAI company is not publicly listed, and the Guardian notes that it is "unclear" how Musk sold the stock or who purchased it from him.
The report also notes that Michael appeared to be holding the stock during a time when the Pentagon was negotiating with xAI on a contract to become one of the agency's AI vendors.
"During the period that Michael owned the xAI stock the Pentagon announced two separate agreements with the firm," the report reads in part. "In July 2025 the Pentagon chose Grok as one of four commercial providers that would help the department utilize artificial intelligence."
The internet was stunned on Thursday after first lady Melania Trump publicly denied for the first time that she had any connection to Jeffrey Epstein.
She claimed that multiple people and organizations had lied about her connection to the late financier and convicted child sex offender, delivering a statement at the White House on Thursday. She also pushed back on allegations that she had a relationship with Epstein co-conspirator and former companion Ghislaine Maxwell.
Political commentators and media voices were quick to question the statement and reacted to her remarks:
"What the f--- was that Melania statement??? What story are they frontrunning over at the White House??" Tommy Vietor, spokesperson for former President Barack Obama and "Pod Save America" co-host, wrote on X.
"I am not sure why Melania Trump decided to make a statement about Jeffrey Epstein seemingly out of nowhere today, but if the idea was to put the ongoing coverup in the rearview mirror it will backfire spectacularly," journalist Aaron Rupar wrote on X.
"Again, no one asked if you were Epstein’s victim. That’s a deflection. The actual question is why you and your husband were, at MINIMUM, embedded in the same elite party circuit as a known predator for years, praised him publicly, and only distanced himself after Epstein became radioactive. That’s not chance. So no, a self-written book isn’t evidence, it’s clean up," RJ Riley, research paralegal and progressive commentator, wrote on X.
"In today's edition of You Couldn't Make This S--- Up: Melania Trump is talking about Epstein in order to distract from the Iran War her husband started in order to distract from Epstein," Paul Kavanagh, columnist at Scottish publication The National, wrote on Bluesky.
"Everyone now racing to google 'Melania Trump' and 'Jeffrey Epstein,'" Jen Bendery, senior politics reporter at HuffPost, wrote on Bluesky.
White House officials were reportedly blindsided after first lady Melania Trump gave a surprise address in which she admitted partying with two of the country's most infamous sex offenders, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
During an address at the White House, Trump decried the "lies" linking her to Epstein and Maxwell.
"I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation. I've never been friends with Epstein. Donald and I were invited to the same parties, as Epstein from time to time, since overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach," the first lady said. "To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice, Maxwell. My email reply to Maxwell cannot be characterized as anything more than casual correspondence."
"I'm not a witness or a named witness in connection with any of Epstein's crimes. My name has never appeared in court documents, the depositions, victim statements, or FBI in interviews surrounding the Epstein matter. I have never had any knowledge of Epstein's abuse of his victims. I was never involved in any capacity. I was not a participant, was never on Epstein's plane, and never visited his private island. I have never been legally accused or convicted of a crime in connection with Epstein sex trafficking, abuse of minors, and other repulsive behavior," she insisted.
Trump, however, did not spend as much time defending her husband.
"Now is the time for Congress to act. Epstein was not alone," she said. "Several prominent male executives resigned from their powerful positions after this matter became widely politicized. Of course, this doesn't amount to guilt, but we still must work openly and transparently to uncover the truth."
Following the speech, MS NOW's Jake Traylor reported that White House officials "were caught off guard by her statement."
CNN reporters were shocked on Thursday after first lady Melania Trump gave her first-ever statement on Jeffrey Epstein and called for Congress to give survivors of the late financier and convicted child sex offender a chance to testify.
Melania Trump's connection to Epstein has long been under speculation, and in her speech from the White House, she broke her silence for the first time. CNN anchor Briana Keilar and CNN senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes were both stunned by the "extraordinary" move.
Holmes described why the moment was so striking.
"I would use the word stunning here, particularly as it pertains to this first lady," Holmes said. "She is often not in the limelight. She doesn't take to center stage. She doesn't react to things like this, standing there at the podium. And these remarks kind of came out of the blue. It's a time when we're actually not focusing on Epstein. The country seemingly had moved on to the latest issue that is coming out of this administration, which, of course, is the war in Iran. Yet we have Melania Trump coming up here and essentially defending her name."
Melania Trump referred to multiple accusations against her and President Donald Trump, claiming that people had spread lies about her ties to Epstein, whom she said she had interacted with socially at parties.
"And we should note, there were a lot of smears across social media linking her to Epstein. None of it seemed verified," Holmes said. "We don't need to repeat any of those claims, although she does list them out somewhat during that speech regarding meeting Donald Trump, her relationship with Epstein. But even further, the fact that she is calling on Congress for an open hearing for them, for these victims and survivors to provide their testimony, we have to compare that to what we have been hearing from President Trump, from the White House, from the [former] attorney general, Pam Bondi, before she left, talking about how America wants to move on from this, how they don't want to have these hearings. They don't want to draw this out, how people in the country are tired of talking about Epstein."
But Melania's comments differed from those within the White House and the DOJ.
"You have a direct contradiction to that with the first lady here," Holmes added. "So yes, you have her defending herself, but she is also calling for what so many people across America have been calling for, which is a chance for these victims, for these survivors to come forward and speak on the record, speak to Congress. And she is actually calling on Congress to let them have this day in court. Obviously, court is metaphorical here, talking about Congress, but saying that everyone should have to testify under oath. Talking about how people, men, have lost their jobs because of their relationships to Epstein saying that of course it doesn't make you guilty of anything, but it should be an opportunity to have the survivors talk, the victims talk to get their side of the story out there. This, again, is completely the opposite of what we have been hearing in terms of the narrative and trying to get away from the narrative around Jeffrey Epstein and coming from the first lady in this kind of impassioned speech where she is directly addressing these claims, again, mostly claims that have been seen on social media."
Melania Trump said that several people and companies have had to issue public apologies and retractions, naming Daily Beast, James Carville and Harper Collins UK.
"She names a few news outlets that had carried some of this, and then going into a call to action to even take this further," Holmes explained. "Re-injecting the Jeffrey Epstein saga back into the media narrative and essentially saying Congress didn't do enough. That is such a stunning and stark departure from what we have been hearing, and to be given again by the first lady standing there at the White House."
