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Trump's Iran war derailing his real revenge obsession: analysis

The war in Iran has worn down President Donald Trump's spirit and sidetracked his "culture war obsessions," an analyst explained on Monday.

Salon's Amanda Marcotte discussed how Trump has tried to convince the American public to support the ongoing war in the Middle East. Despite his attempts during his address to the nation last week, he "sounded like a whipped dog, barely able to summon the energy to make false promises about ending the war 'very shortly.'"

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Trump is trapped in an 'ugly place politically' after only 14 months: expert

During an appearance on MS NOW on Monday morning, longtime political analyst John Heilemann pointed out that Donald Trump's approval numbers during his second term have been in a freefall with no hope for a turnaround in sight.

Speaking with the hosts of “Morning Joe,” Heilemann was unable to come up with one time when the embattled president saw any enduring upward swing in his polling.

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GOP lawmakers put Trump on notice as new war demand nears

Donald Trump's pending request for an additional $200 billion to fund his Iran war is hitting an immediate wall — not just from Democrats, but from his own party's fiscal conservatives who are demanding answers the administration refuses to provide.

According to MS NOW's Jack Fitzpatrick and Kevin Frey, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's hint at the massive funding request has already triggered bipartisan skepticism. Lawmakers from both parties are asking uncomfortable questions about the war's financial cost, human toll, and political risk.

Even Republican loyalists — typically rubber-stamp votes for Trump — are demanding transparency. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has already signaled opposition to fast-tracking military funding, instead focusing an upcoming reconciliation bill narrowly on DHS funding.

Republican frustration is mounting over the lack of details. Conservatives want spending cuts elsewhere to offset the massive bill, but they can't identify specific programs to cut — a major red flag about the proposal's viability.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) made the political reality clear: "If our troops need more money, I want to give it to them, but I want to see the details. You gotta show me the candy before I'll get in that car."

The administration's pitch to allies on Capitol Hill claimed the Iran operation would last "weeks, not months" with no U.S. ground troops. But the massive funding request undermines that narrative entirely.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) did the math publicly: "If it's been about a billion dollars a day and they want 200 billion, my quick math says they think it'll go on at least six months."

"It begs the question, how long do they expect the war to go on?" Massie added.

Democratic opposition adds another layer of difficulty. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) demanded the administration provide specifics before he'd vote for additional funding.

"Before considering any new package, the administration would need to clearly outline the mission, strategy, and use of existing resources," Cuellar said in a statement.

But the fiercest opposition comes from Republican fiscal hawks unafraid to challenge Trump. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) flatly stated he opposes the war and won't support funding legislation.

"They're talking about $200 billion for the military, another $25 billion for farm subsidies, and another $25 billion for disasters," Paul told reporters. "So they're talking about an enormous bill. And I think the biggest threat to our national security is not Iran; I think it's our national debt."

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) echoed the fiscal conservative demand: "I want everything paid for. I want everything — I think everything up here has to be paid for."

Trump just laid the groundwork for one of the 'greatest tragedies' in history: GOP analyst

President Donald Trump has just laid the groundwork for one of the "greatest tragedies in American foreign policy history," according to a GOP analyst.

Stewart Stevens, who was Mitt Romney's chief campaign strategist during his 2012 presidential campaign, argued in a recent interview on MS NOW's "Alex Witt Reports" that Trump appears incapable of recognizing the mistakes his administration has made in the war in Iran. He said that failure could create a situation where U.S. soldiers and Iranian civilians face "complete tragedies" of Trump's own making.

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Experts alarmed by Pete Hegseth's latest 'dangerous' decision: 'Will feel it immediately'

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth alarmed two national security experts after making his latest "dangerous" decision.

Last week, Hegseth fired Army Gen. Randy George, the Army's chief of staff, over what the New York Times described as "hostility" between the Defense Secretary and senior military leaders. George's firing happened at a time when the U.S. appears to be considering an escalation in the war in Iran, one that could result in the country putting boots on the ground.

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Trump White House pushed satellite firm to withhold all images of Iran war

The satellite firm Planet Labs told customers, including major news outlets, that it was acting on the Trump administration’s request as it announced it was implementing “an indefinite withhold of imagery” in Iran and across the Middle Eastern countries where the widening conflict started by the US and Israel is unfolding.

The Saturday announcement, said UK rights campaigner Sarah Wilkinson, was a sign that images of the war will be censored “to hide the truth.”

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Trump's 'on the nose' statement shows president has finally lost it: analysis

Donald Trump has made a rare statement that lines up with reality, according to a political commentator who says the president has "lost his mojo".

Jonathan Cohn, writing in The Bulwark, suggested Trump had "lost his mojo" during a recent speech where the usually flippant Commander-in-Chief called out cold, hard facts. Whether he did so intentionally remains unclear, but Cohn believes that Trump's usually braggadocious, reality-bending manner was nowhere to be found when he addressed his plans for the future of Iran.

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Trump admin exposed for massive deals with world’s most brutal leaders: report

Donald Trump's administration has seemingly changed tack with international diplomacy and struck deals with a series of the world's most brutal leaders, per a report.

Records from the White House, seen by the New York Times, show that American diplomats are straining to strike deals with countries across the world and have put everything on the negotiating table as a result. Included in the possible negotiations were offers to "pay foreign security forces, ease visa restrictions or tariffs, finance public health services, and even reconsider a country’s placement on U.S. watch lists," per the NYT team.

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Trump's mockery of British PM damages alliance 'beyond repair': report

President Donald Trump's impersonations of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have led to a damaged relationship "beyond repair" between the two countries amid the ongoing Iran war, according to reports on Friday.

Trump had mocked Starmer and ridiculed him during an Easter lunch speech at the White House, saying the UK was "not our best" ally after Starmer had reportedly consulted his team about military actions, according to The Guardian. He was apparently angry over the prime minister's decision to deny the U.S. military use of British military bases during the launch of its air strikes on Iran.

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Trump jokes about keeping Iran's oil as crews desperately search for downed pilot

President Donald Trump joked about confiscating Iran's oil as search crews were desperately trying to find a fighter pilot who was downed in the war-torn country.

"KEEP THE OIL, ANYONE?" Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday while the search was underway.

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'Daddy's not home': Fury erupts as Trump goes quiet after Iran shoots down US fighter jet

An American's whereabouts were unknown on Friday after Iran shot down a U.S. fighter jet, as questions mounted online over what happened to the missing service member and if the Trump administration would comment on it.

President Donald Trump had not yet responded to the attack, which was the first time an American jet had been shot down since the military strikes launched five weeks ago. It was unknown what had happened to the missing pilot.

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Second Air Force plane crashes in Iran war

A second Air Force combat aircraft reportedly crashed on Friday at the "same time" that an F-15E fighter jet went down in Iran.

The New York Times reported that the second aircraft went down in the Persian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz. The pilot was recovered, the report said. An A-10 Warthog attack plane was said to be involved in the crash.

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US officials claim to rescue one of two pilots shot down in Iran

U.S. officials reportedly confirmed that one of two pilots who were downed in Iran has been rescued.

Officials told CBS News that an F-15E fighter jet went down in Iran on Friday. U.S. forces later rescued a crew member, the officials said.

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