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'There’s no chance': Irate Iran officials refuse to speak with top Trump negotiators

Iranian officials have apparently refused to continue talks with President Donald Trump's two closest allies behind key negotiations in the Middle East, according to reports on Tuesday.

Negotiations involving Iran, Pakistan and the United States were expected to take place in Islamabad as early as this week or next; however, Trump's picks to discuss the ongoing military conflict were reportedly not wanted at the table, The Guardian reported.

Instead, another top Trump administration official was under consideration to join the talks: Vice President JD Vance.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has suggested his country would be willing to help "facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks" and end the conflict.

"Pakistani sources said the US vice-president, JD Vance, was being put forward as a probable chief negotiator from the US side if talks went ahead," according to The Guardian. "Iranian sources have said they would refuse to sit down with Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, or Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who led the nuclear negotiations with Iran before the war."

Kushner and Witkoff were involved in talks with Iran prior to the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes that launched on Feb. 28. Since the war started, Iranian officials have reportedly decided they do not want to engage with the two men. Iran has suggested that the two knowingly misled Iranian officials during prior negotiations and were planning the attack all along, despite the closed-door conversations.

"With the previous negotiating team, there’s no chance," one diplomatic source told The Guardian. "The Iranian side regards the request for negotiations as another round of deception for the US-Israeli regime to find out a loophole to aggravate the strikes again."

Trump again hurls Pete Hegseth under the bus over Iran war

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was angry about settling the Iran war.

Trump was taking press questions after swearing in new Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin in the Oval Office when he gave a frank response about the status of the ongoing military conflict in the Middle East, which has now reached its fourth week and left 13 troops dead and 232 service members wounded.

This was the second time in two days that Trump had punted the blame to Hegseth over the war. On Monday, during a visit to Tennessee, Trump claimed that Hegseth urged him to pursue joint military strikes with Israel on Iran.

"I don’t want to say this, but I have to. I said to Pete and General Caine, I think this thing [the war] is going to be settled very soon. They said, 'Oh, that’s too bad.' Pete didn’t want it to be settled," Trump said.

Political commentator Brian Krassenstein shared the video on X, saying, "In other words our Sec. of War doesn't want peace, he wants war."

Several other people commented on social media after the president's remarks.

"Caine getting tossed under the bus for good measure now too. Dude is just out here blaming everyone lmao," commentator Bill DeMayo wrote on X.

"Trump trying to spread blame like butter on toast," progressive commentator Bill Johnson wrote on X.

Rubio reveals what he knew about friend accused of secretly lobbying for Venezuela

Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified Tuesday in a federal criminal case involving his once-roommate and friend, former Rep. David Rivera, saying during cross-examination that he did not know about Rivera's alleged crimes, CBS News reported.

Rivera has been accused of secretly lobbying for the Venezuelan government.

Rubio and Rivera had a close relationship in the past. Both are Cuban American immigrants from Miami, and Rivera was with Rubio when he picked out his wife's engagement ring. Rivera stood by Rubio's side as he pushed his political career forward while they both pursued their political ambitions in the Florida House of Representatives.

"Rubio described a 2017 meeting with Rivera where he said 'insiders in the regime in Venezuela' had convinced former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to step aside, and Rubio said he had no knowledge that Rivera had allegedly been contracted out by a subsidiary of a Venezuelan state oil company to arrange the meeting," according to CBS News.

Rubio described his response to the claims that Maduro was planning to step down.

"I was skeptical that it was true," Rubio said. "Because we've had so many other people" attempt to do the same thing with "double dealers who were constantly making these claims."

Federal prosecutors allege that Rivera and his codefendant Esther Nuhfer sought to influence the first Trump administration to lower political tensions and tone down sanctions on behalf of Maduro and then-Foreign Minister and now interim Venezuelan president Delcy Rodriguez. Rivera and Nuhfer were indicted in 2022 by a grand jury in the Southern District of Florida for failing to register as a foreign agent and money laundering.

"Prosecutors allege that the pair were hired in a $50 million contract in exchange for three months of lobbying work in 2017 on behalf of a U.S.-based subsidiary of a Venezuela state oil company, PDVSA, which operates under the name CITGO," CBS News reported.

The indictment revealed that both Rivera and Nuhfer were accused of trying to lobby Rubio, who was at the time a Miami Republican senator, and Kellyanne Conway, former White House advisor, on behalf of the Venezuelan government's high ranking leaders.

"The attempts to meet Conway were unsuccessful, prosecutors said, but added that the pair did arrange two meetings with Rubio, who is a longtime friend of Rivera's and had been an outspoken critic of the Maduro regime," according to CBS News.

This was the first time in more than 40 years that a current Cabinet member was called as a witness in a federal trial, according to The Washington Post.

Rubio was asked what he knew about the alleged $50 million contract between Rivera, Nuhfera and a Venezuela oil subsidiary.

"I have no such knowledge other than what is in the press and what is in the indictment," Rubio said.

JD Vance drops ominous message for Americans: ‘Suffering is going to get a lot worse’

Vice President JD Vance had a grim comment on Tuesday amid the looming five-week government shutdown as time was running out on funding SNAP benefits.

A reporter asked Vance about the mounting concerns that an estimated 42 million Americans could lose their benefits and go hungry, while the federal government has invested billions in the military and law enforcement.

"If you go back to previous government shutdowns, what has happened is that sometimes the president has tried to make the shutdown as painful as possible on the American people," Vance said. "I give the president of the United States great credit, and the entire team, for trying to make this as painless as possible."

Vance praised President Donald Trump and the administration, while claiming Democrats were solely to blame for the stalemate impacting American voters.

"The unfortunate reality, and we're starting to see this with our aviation industry, we're going to find out the hard way with SNAP benefits," Vance said. "The American people are already suffering, and the suffering is going to get a lot worse. Not because the president of the United States has failed to make the shutdown painless, he's tried to do everything that he can to make it as un-painless as possible. The reason that pain is coming and the reason it's building is because we're not passing a clean bill to reopen the government."

Senate Republicans were planning to propose a solution with Democrats over funding the Department of Homeland Security and end the partial shutdown, according to reports on Tuesday. It's unclear if Senate Democrats would agree to the proposal.

Democrats have demanded that immigration raids require judicial warrants, and Sen. John Hoeven (R-SD) told The New York Times that the suggested compromise would not include this concession.

Supreme Court sends major signal in Trump's war on immigration

The Supreme Court appeared willing to consider the Trump administration's request to block asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, according to reports on Tuesday.

The Supreme Court decision could give President Donald Trump and his administration the right to bring back a 2016 policy when the federal government turned away immigrants claiming asylum and seeking protection from persecution in the United States, The New York Times reported. The high court must determine "what exactly it means to 'arrive' in this country."

The current federal law allows any noncitizen who "arrives in the United States" to apply for asylum as long as they are "physically present in the United States."

The main focus of the case is whether noncitizens need to cross the border to gain the right to apply for asylum or if they can appear at the southern border and seek entry. Under the current law, migrants can announce they are seeking asylum and can get a referral for an interview to verify if the claimed fear of persecution is credible.

The case was expected to be decided in late June or early July, according to The Times. The justices reportedly spent more than an hour on Tuesday discussing the case and were "struggling to parse the difference between a person who 'arrives in' the United States and one who is 'arriving at' the border."

MAGA loses it as GOP gov appoints senator who donated to Trump foe: 'This should end him!'

MAGA fans were outraged after the controversial replacement for Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) was announced on Tuesday.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed oil and gas executive Alan Armstrong, who had formerly made a $5,800 donation to one of President Donald Trump's enemies, former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL). Kinzinger had voted to impeach Trump, and the donation came around that time.

Stitt announced the appointment in a post on X, just hours after Mullin was formally confirmed late Monday as the new Homeland Security Secretary, replacing the outgoing embattled Trump administration leader Kristi Noem. Noem was fired by President Donald Trump, who appointed Mullin and moved Noem into another role.

"Alan is a proud third-generation Oklahoman, staunch conservative, respected business leader, and a devoted family man with an inspiring American Dream story," Stitt said.

"He is entering the U.S. Senate at a critical time for advancing reforms to secure America’s energy future. I have no doubt that his perspective will be influential in moving the needle on permitting reform to unlock American competitiveness and energy affordability for generations to come," Stitt added.

MAGA followers on social media were furious with the move, with several people calling Stitt a "RINO," a biting acronym for Republican in name only.

"Another RINO. lock and step. These people hate MAGA," Justin Baugher, who frequently shares MAGA-related content on his social media, wrote on X.

"Armstrong DONATED to Adam Kinzinger AFTER he voted to impeach President Trump and joined the J6 witch hunt committee. You couldn’t be more anti-Trump if you tried," Jessica, a paralegal and nutritionist who self-describes as MAGA and MAHA, wrote on X.

"Good this Should END @GovStitt any political ambitions he ever had!!! We are SICK of RINOS!!!" User janconcern, who self-identifies as MAGA, wrote on X.

"Wow. Just like he made us proud when he supported Biden. True RINO’s stick together," Sherre Ann, who self-describes as an "America First Patriot," wrote on X.

Trump Cabinet members are handing millions in cash gifts to the president: report

President Donald Trump has received millions in donations from his Cabinet members — except for three people, according to a new report Tuesday.

The Swamp, The Daily Beast's Substack, reported that out of Trump's 23 Cabinet members, 20 have offered substantial financial gifts to the president.

"Donald Trump has another good reason to keep praising his Cabinet members as they continue their relentless sucking up through his second term — they are putting their money where their mouths are by lining the president's pockets," according to The Swamp.

One Trump ally — the secretary of education and longtime business mogul — has donated the most.

"An astonishing 20 out of 23 of his Cabinet members have donated big checks to Trump's campaign, The Swamp has discovered. Former WWE wrestling boss Linda McMahon is the biggest donor with $20 million, and Trump’s New York pal Howard Lutnick has given $10 million," the outlet reported. "Perhaps the Cabinet runs on a sliding scale—the less they give, the more they need to grovel."

Citizens for Ethics, a nonpartisan nonprofit government watchdog organization, cited that Trump has received at least $30 million total in donations since 2023, which include political contributions, stock holdings and property visits.

Among the Cabinet members who have donated, these Trump administration officials have either made direct donations or financial gifts via committees they oversee. The known donors, according to Citizens for Ethics, include the following: Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, outgoing Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, US Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were among Trump Cabinet members who were not listed as donors. It's unclear if they have made donations to Trump's political or personal coffers.

Republicans clash as Trump ally bucks leadership by laying into 'pipe dream' DHS plan

Republican lawmakers were facing off on Tuesday over a path to end the partial government shutdown as a staunch ally of President Donald Trump bashed a GOP proposal his colleagues have hinted could be a solution.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) called the potential agreement to end the five-week stalemate by funding emergency removal operations with a budget reconciliation package and reopening the Department of Homeland Security a "pipe dream," The Hill reported.

Scott argued that this proposal "doesn't make any sense."

It was presented by Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) to Trump on Monday night during a discussion with the president and GOP lawmakers, and would aim to break up the funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prompt Democrats to agree on a deal that would fund DHS.

Scott's reaction has highlighted some of the infighting underway within the Republican Party.

The Senate GOP has started to show fractures as "some Republicans worry trying to pin the blame on Democrats won’t produce a deal and could politically boomerang back on their own party," according to The Hill.

"While Republicans feel the shutdown was forced by Democrats, they also know their party owns the White House and both majorities in Congress and could suffer the blame — particularly amid the war with Iran that is already stoking political controversy," The Hill reported.

Trump's allies admit they're resorting to desperate 'gimmicks' to keep gas down: report

The Trump administration was reportedly looking for ways to drop gas prices at the pump, according to a Bloomberg report on Monday.

President Donald Trump has touted lowering oil prices throughout his campaign and first year of his second term, but as the Iran war hits its fourth week and oil prices skyrocket, his allies are aiming to make new moves ahead of the midterms this fall, Bloomberg's Nancy Cook reported.

"I’m told Cabinet members like Energy Secretary Christopher Wright, staff at the National Economic Council and the National Energy Dominance Council as well as other White House aides are soliciting ideas from policy experts, donors and energy executives as they struggle to limit the economic damage inflicted by the war," Cook wrote.

"Today, Trump himself backed down from threats he made over the weekend to begin hitting Iran’s energy infrastructure in 48 hours after allies and Gulf countries warned the president about the consequences and oil prices spiked," Cook explained.

Trump allies were apparently tasked with sharing potential remedies.

"Among the myriad ideas floated to the administration for consideration are asking Congress to suspend the federal gas tax; releasing more oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve once the current release is finished and fast-tracking drilling permits, according to people familiar with the internal discussions," Cook reported. "A White House official said while there are many options on the table, the administration at this time isn’t pursuing a gas tax holiday or an additional SPR release."

"One Trump ally acknowledged a lot of this was 'gimmicky' but said the White House has to show it’s taking action before the midterms, which inevitably will turn on the economy," Cook added. "With Republican control of Congress at risk, Trump has put his political team in a bit of a quagmire with ostensibly no clear strategy or timeline for ending the war."

Author reveals 'oh-my-God moment' from first Epstein meeting

Michael Wolff, a journalist who has written four books about President Donald Trump, shared the surprising information late financier and convicted child sex offender revealed on his private jet the first time they met.

In a post on his Substack, Wolff detailed his first meeting with Epstein in 2000, when they were traveling from New York City to the TED conference in Monterey, California, on Epstein's Boeing 727 with a number of other conference attendees and “three model-tall young women.”

The flight happened years before Epstein was under investigation for sex trafficking and abuse of young women, The Daily Beast reported.

Wolff described the peculiar experience.

"The dodginess could not be missed," he wrote.

Epstein then apparently started describing an island he was planning to develop in the Caribbean to architect David Rockwell. He asked Rockwell to review his blueprints.

"He clearly became more confounded as he looked more closely, and as Epstein chattily describing the extent of his other-worldly seeming project. 'What are these little rooms here?' a puzzled Rockwell finally asked, pointing to an area that might seem to resemble a medieval cloister,” Wolff wrote.

“That’s where the girls stay," Epstein apparently told the architect nonchalantly.

Little St. James is a private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands that was owned by Epstein and served as a location where he allegedly engaged in sex trafficking and abuse of minors. The island has become a focal point of investigations and public scrutiny following Epstein's arrest and conviction, with authorities examining records and evidence related to criminal activity that allegedly occurred there.

Wolff said that after the conference, he headed back with Epstein and the three young women to New York City. After he boarded the flight, Epstein asked him a question.

“‘Do you want to ride back here in the petting zoo?’ I thought I heard him say, without immediate comprehension, and, very slowly, second-guessing if I could have possibly heard him correctly—and, if I had (long before the interpretation of this might have been obvious), what could this possibly mean. ‘Or up in the cockpit with the pilots?'" Wolff wrote.

The author said he chose to ride in the cockpit instead.

Trump official ducks blame after another deadly airline disaster under his watch

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy tried to deflect responsibility on Monday after two pilots were killed and dozens more people were injured in a collision at LaGuardia Airport — calling on Congress to increase their funding for air traffic control workers at airports.

Duffy was speaking at a news conference with several New York state and New York City leaders discussing the new details revealed around the moments that led to the fatal collision, which was still under a National Transportation Safety Board investigation. He dodged multiple questions about what happened and attempted to shift the blame.

"Congress needs to do their job," said Duffy, who cited multiple requests to lawmakers to fund air traffic controllers.

"I've been asking the Congress for additional money," Duffy said. "Many of you have reported that we need more money for air traffic control. We are modernizing our system, but we can't fully modernize it until the Congress gives us additional money. It's not a partisan issue. Both Democrats and Republicans agree, but they have to have the will to finish the funding. I'm not saying that this crash would have been prevented if we had all the equipment deployed, but it's important if we care about air travel safety, we care about having a brand new air traffic control system the best in the world with the best equipment, virtually all of it developed here in America."

Duffy described the staffing conditions at LaGuardia Airport.

"This airport has a target of 37 controllers at LaGuardia," Duffy said. "We have 33 controllers employed and certified at LaGuardia and we have six — seven actually in training, so as our airports go, LaGuardia is a very well-staffed airport. We are a couple controllers short in total, but it is a well-staffed airport."

He added that the air traffic controller was apparently not the only person on the job at the time, although the NTSB investigation is expected to provide more information.

"I did want to clarify, I've heard the rumor that there was only one controller in the tower, and that is not accurate," Duffy said.

This was the second fatal crash under Duffy's leadership and in President Donald Trump's second administration. Duffy has been accused of putting safety at risk by not addressing the low staffing among air traffic controllers in the United States as calls have grown for his resignation.

Trump official faces mounting calls to resign after yet another airline disaster

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was facing criticism and growing calls to resign on Monday after two pilots were killed and dozens of people were injured during a collision involving an Air Canada plane and a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport.

This was the second fatal crash under Duffy's leadership and in President Donald Trump's second administration, The Daily Beast noted. Duffy has been accused of putting safety at risk by not addressing the low staffing among air traffic controllers in the United States.

The Federal Aviation Administration told The Beast that the low staffing concerns were part of the investigation.

Duffy posted on X that he was headed to LaGuardia Airport following the incident, which drew a number of responses and critiques of the Trump administration official.

"Sean Duffy, Elon Musk, Trump cut FAA staff. Now we have three airline disasters in 14 months. None in the previous 16 years. Is there anything Trump touches that doesn't turn to s---?" Doug Dillman, former biochemist, wrote on X.

"You should be doing your job, not running around the country to make Trump praise content for this page," Russell Foster, former Democratic congressional candidate in Texas, wrote on X. "Spend more time working and less time sucking up."

"Ok great. And then what?? How about you all stop fighting with each other so these airports can be fully staffed for the safety of the employees and the traveling public. But who gives a s---right? Keep spreading everyone so thin till they break or something tragic happens," sports reporter Nikki Gist wrote on X.

"You need more controllers. You need to pay them more. And you need to stop the practice of 6-day duty periods with mandatory overtime. The regulations that govern pilot rest should be applied to controllers, too. Outside of that, let's see what the NTSB says about contributing factors, especially those related to the firetruck crossing an active runway," Thomas Larsen, data expert, wrote on X.

'Thrilled' Dems believe 'desperate' Trump just handed them a gift they didn't ask for

Democrats were reportedly sensing potential spring break travel pandemonium and further political fallout over President Donald Trump's decision to send federal immigration agents to airports, an analyst reported on Monday.

Author Rachel Bade wrote in a Substack post how Trump could be heading for a "rude awakening" this week as Democrats call his bluff over whether to fund the Department of Homeland Security amid the partial government shutdown. The president's move to bring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents was expected to backfire as Democratic lawmakers were apparently predicting how voters would respond, and Democrats wouldn't be pushed to bow down to Republican demands.

"Publicly, Democrats are calling the move ridiculous. Privately, though? They’re thrilled," Bade wrote. "The way they see it, Trump’s move screams desperation and that the White House is eager to resolve this issue before the spring break travel season."

Democrats expected the administration's response to the unpaid TSA workers to create another ripple effect.

"If the White House is this rattled, Dems can squeeze even harder," Bade wrote. "Some are even betting Republicans will cave as soon as this week."

Several Democratic sources on the Hill told Bade what could happen next.

"Democrats doubt the administration is tone deaf enough to have ICE agents carry out immigration enforcement at airports," Bade wrote. "They’re skeptical agents will be checking travelers’ immigration papers, for instance. But even just the sight of ICE hanging around doors and exits will spook Americans, they insist — and make GOP immigration policy look even more chaotic and personal."

It could come down to public perception.

"One Democratic source put it to me this way: The public stopped trusting Republicans on immigration when people started seeing the chaos up close — in places like Minnesota, where enforcement hit home," Bade explained. "ICE showing up at airports would thrust the issue from the abstract into the everyday lives of millions of Americans, they argue."

‘Rats, sinking ships’: Quiet White House exit raises eyebrows

Vice President JD Vance's special adviser for the Middle East has left the Trump administration to take a new role at a lobbying firm, Bloomberg Government reported on Monday.

Wesam H. Hassanein has joined Continental Strategy LLC, a firm connected to the Trump administration and the Republican Party, the outlet reported. The native Arabic speaker said he had apparently planned to leave the White House when the U.S.-Israeli joint strikes started on Iran on Feb. 28.

“I’m not leaving because I oppose the president’s decision on Iran — I’m 100% supportive of President Trump’s decision to deny Iran nuclear weapons,” Hassanein said. “We should have done what President Trump is doing years ago.”

Hassanein previously worked for the State Department before joining the Trump administration. He said he had been mulling over several offers before selecting the firm founded by Carlos Trujillo, former Ambassador to the Organization of American States.

“Continental really, really stood out as family oriented, a family culture, with an excellent client base,” he said. “They are in total lockstep with the administration, working to advance America First policies.”

Several people reacted to the news of the latest White House exit.

"Rats, sinking ships...," Mehdi Hassan, editor-in-chief and CEO of Zeteo, wrote on X.

"VP Vance's special adviser for the Middle East, Wesam H. Hassanein, leaves role for the private sector," Jonathan Guyer, Program Director of Institute for Global Affairs, wrote on X.

"Why do they all leave when it gets hot in the kitchen?? Very weak appointees doing the Bongino," political commentator Johnny Law wrote on X.

"Why stay when POTUS does the bidding of another country to lie us into war. Get off the sinking ship," copywriter John Bethel wrote on X.

'His presidency is over': Trump gets warning he's gone past the point of no return

A professor and political analyst signaled on Monday that President Donald Trump's slipping political support will not rebound — and that it's over for him.

In an opinion piece for The Hill, John Kenneth White, professor emeritus at The Catholic University of America and author of "Grand Old Unraveling: The Republican Party, Donald Trump, and the Rise of Authoritarianism,” described just why Trump's reign has hit its limit. White outlined how Trump's promises to the American people have completely gone by the wayside as he "started a war of choice with Iran" while the economy plummets and inflation rises, harsh immigration policies that deport people indiscriminately, and his sinking approval ratings.

"But Donald Trump is governing without the consent of the governed," White wrote. "Most polls show Trump’s approval hovering around the 40 percent mark. But behind these numbers is a presidency in distress. On handling inflation and the cost of living and immigration — issues that matter to voters — Trump has dismal scores."

Trump must also reckon with the realities that surround his second term as his MAGA coalition fractures.

"The images associated with Trump have now come into focus," White wrote. "Renee Good and Alex Pretti were murdered on the streets of Minneapolis by federal immigration officials. Persons of color are fearful of being seized by masked ICE agents. Terrorized children are held in cages. Dead and wounded soldiers are returning from a war Trump started in the Middle East."

"Those images will be forever associated with Trump," White wrote. "While he still wins support from true believers, most Americans have turned on him. Hispanics who supported Trump in 2024 are repelled by his immigration policies and have deserted the Republican Party in places like Texas. Sixty-seven percent of independents, the group of voters that decides elections, disapprove of Trump’s performance."

White also predicted what the remainder of Trump's presidency could look like.

"For the next two years, Trump will retain the powers of the presidency," White wrote. "He can veto bills, issue pardons and executive orders and even wage war. But he will govern without the consent of the governed. As Abraham Lincoln famously observed: 'Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed.'"

"Trump cannot recover his political standing. His presidency is over," White added.