House Speaker Mike Johnson attempted to define President Donald Trump's claim that he would end the Iran war when he feels it in his bones to mean "informed by the intelligence."
"President Trump recently said that the war in Iran will be over when he feels it in his bones," a reporter told Johnson on Tuesday. "What does he mean by that?"
"Well, I think his bones are informed by the intelligence, okay?" Johnson replied. "So, look, it's the commander-in-chief, whomever is the president, whomever is the commander-in-chief under our constitutional system is given a broad amount of latitude and authority."
"Their decisions are informed by all the intelligence and the experts, a large panel of them from the Joint Chiefs of Staff on down, who come in and advise the president, every president, makes a good decision. And hopefully they make a prayerful decision," he added. "I think this president will as well. He's getting great advice from great people. And I'm very encouraged about where we are. I think this will wind down quickly. And it's gonna be in the best interest of America going forward and of the whole world."
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt fired back at U.S. intelligence official Joe Kent after he resigned over President Donald Trump's war with Iran.
"After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today," Kent wrote Tuesday in a post on X.
Kent insisted in his resignation letter that Iran had not posed an imminent threat.
"This is the same false claim that Democrats and some in the liberal media have been repeating over and over," Leavitt replied later on Tuesday. "Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism."
"The Iranian regime is evil. It proudly killed Americans, waged war against our country, and openly threatened us all the way up to the launch of Operation Epic Fury," she continued. "The President, through his top negotiators, gave the regime every single possible opportunity to abandon this unacceptable course by permanently giving up their nuclear ambitions in exchange for sanctions relief, free nuclear fuel, and potential economic partnerships with our country."
"President Trump ultimately made the determination that a joint attack with Israel would greatly reduce the risk to American lives that would come from a first strike by the terrorist Iranian regime and address this imminent threat to America's national security interests."
Leavitt also blasted Kent for suggesting that Iran had pushed him into the war.
"The Commander-in-Chief determines what does and does not constitute a threat, because he is the one constitutionally empowered to do so - and because the American people went to the ballot box and entrusted him and him alone to make such final judgments," she said. "And finally, the absurd allegation that President Trump made this decision based on the influence of others, even foreign countries, is both insulting and laughable. President Trump has been remarkably consistent and has said for DECADES that Iran can NEVER possess a nuclear weapon."
"As someone who actually witnesses President Trump's decision-making process on a daily basis, I can attest to the fact that he is always looking to do what's in the best interest of the United States of America — period," she added.
Trump was later asked about Kent's resignation.
"It's a good thing that he's out," the president said. "We don't want those people."
The abrupt resignation of Donald Trump’s director of the National Counterterrorism Center with a very public rebuttal of the Iran war could lead to more officials fleeing the embattled White House.
Early Tuesday morning, Joe Kent, who worked hand-in-hand with Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, dealt a devastating blow to the president’s war narrative that was already being greeted with no small amount of skepticism.
On X, Kent wrote, “After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today. I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
Appearing on MS NOW just as the news broke, the New York Times Peter Baker told host Anna Cabrera, Kent’s high-profile departure could signal an exodus.
"Peter, we've seen rumblings of discontent between the president and some of his MAGA base over Iran, but most have stuck with Trump. Is this a sign the bases may be shakier than he may have thought?” Cabrera prompted her guest.
“Well, it would certainly be a warning on that front, and it will be interesting to see if anybody else follows Joe Kent out the door,” Baker replied. “Does this encourage otherswho might have doubts, who might be uncomfortable with what's going on, to speak out or take action themselves? We saw from the very beginning people like Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, a handful of others who say that Trump appealed to them when he first ran because he was going to keep them out of Middle East wars, because he promised no new wars, because he said no regime change.”
“Now, of course, this resignation underlines that there's a part of the base that's deeply uncomfortable with this,” he added. “So we'll see if this encourages others to take the same direction, but it will be seized on by a lot of people in the coalition as an example of what they have been personally thinking. And it will confirm to those who are very critical of Israel and that wing of the MAGA spectrum as well, that their suspicions are correct.”
MAGA followers were enraged Tuesday after Joe Kent, head of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned in protest over the U.S. war in Iran.
Kent, a longtime MAGA ally of President Donald Trump who was appointed by him, shared his public statement and rejection of the conflict in the Middle East. This was the first time an administration official had rebuked the military action and spoken out against it.
MAGA loyalists had seething responses to Kent's announcement:
"Gold Star wife here. My husband didn’t die for Israel. He died because this war has been targeting Americans for decades. Long before most people ever started paying attention. We didn’t suddenly stumble into this because of Israel. Our service members have been in the crosshairs of Iranian-backed terror networks for years. That’s the reality families like mine have lived with. So spare me the talking point that this is 'Israel’s war.' Some of us have already paid for it in American blood," Sharrell Anne, who self-describes as "America First" wrote in a post on X.
"Very disappointing from you. It's an insult to Trump to imply he has no agency and no ability to resist pressure from anyone, including Israel," Jon Murray, who shares pro-MAGA content and commentary, wrote on X.
"' Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation' ok good you left because seems like you're an ignorant ...," Samuel Cardillo, who frequently shares MAGA talking points, wrote on X.
“'Without getting us drawn into never-ending wars.' It’s been 3 weeks lol," conservative commentator and attorney Matt Bilinsky wrote on X.
"Joe Kent is a crazed egomaniac who was often at the center of national security leaks, while rarely (never?) producing any actual work. He spent all of his time working to subvert the chain of command and undermine the President of the United States. This isn’t some principled resignation—he just wanted to make a splash before getting canned. What a loser," Taylor Budowich, former deputy White House chief of staff and cabinet secretary to Trump, wrote on X.
Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation on X Tuesday by saying he “cannot in good conscience” back Donald Trump’s war in Iran. It delivered a jolt to the administration that is already reeling from a war that is going badly.
According to Kent, Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
Kent, known as a card-carrying member of the MAGA movement, was both lauded and accused of treason, with all agreeing his resignation is a game-changer for Turmp. One follower observed, “The dominoes are starting to fall. Those who want to save face should do the right thing and resign immediately. The overwhelming majority of the American people reject this war.”
Podcast producer Benjamin Rubinstein added, “This is a man who actually loves his country. Bravo.”
Asked for comment, retired Brigadier General Steve Anderson told CNN that the resignation is a “terrific blow to Trump'” and the “timing couldn't be worse.”
“This is incredibly honorable but now there is gonna be a coordinated attack against you by the same people that got us into this war...thank you Joe for your service brother,” wrote Real America’s Voice personality Alex Stein.
“This is the definition of America First. Thank you, Joe,” claimed The Maine Wonk.
Highbee Nation asserted, “A Green Beret who buried his wife to terrorism just told the most powerful man on earth no more forever wars for someone else's lobby. That's not disloyalty. That's the definition of America First.”
“The Director of the National Counterterrorism Center just resigned and publicly said Iran posed no imminent threat and the war was started due to Israeli lobby pressure. This isn’t a podcaster. This isn’t a pundit. This is the person literally in charge of tracking threats to America saying there WASN’T ONE. Read that again. The highest-ranking insider just confirmed everything the ‘traitors’ were saying from day one,” noted influencer tosino007.
Donald Trump's most loyal Iran war hawks are experiencing buyer's remorse as what they envisioned as a quick military victory threatens to metastasize into a prolonged, unpopular quagmire requiring American boots on the ground, according to a report.
More than two weeks into the campaign, insiders close to the White House are sounding the alarm — the president has lost control of the conflict's trajectory, Politico reported. Iran now holds the upper hand, they warn, and Trump may have boxed himself into a corner where escalation — potentially including a full ground invasion — becomes the only face-saving option.
"They decide how long we're involved — and they decide if we put boots on the ground. And it doesn't seem to me that there's a way around that, if we want to save face," one White House insider told Politico.
The core problem: securing oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz against Iranian attacks almost certainly requires seizing Iranian territory — a step that would inevitably mean deploying American troops on Iranian soil.
"The terms have changed," said a second person familiar with U.S. operations in Iran. "The off-ramps don't work anymore because Iran is driving the asymmetric action."
The deteriorating situation is rattling Trump's "America First" coalition, which fears the president is stumbling into exactly the kind of open-ended Middle East morass he spent a decade condemning. With Iran weaponizing oil market disruption to drive up gas prices, Republicans worry the conflict has become a political time bomb — especially heading into midterms when voters are already furious about inflation and affordability.
"For the White House, now the only easy day was yesterday," the insider added bluntly. "They need to worry about an unraveling."
Some Trump allies are still urging restraint, arguing the administration retains non-military tools to pressure Tehran. But they acknowledge each U.S. escalation narrows the exit ramps further.
The severity of the initial strikes compounds the problem. By killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with dozens of senior commanders and family members, Trump may have made Iranian capitulation impossible. The new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei — the late leader's son — has far less incentive to back down than his predecessor.
"You've killed one guy, the next guy up is even more radical. You killed his dad and his wife," one White House source said. "Do you think he's gonna be more — or less — reasonable?"
Venezuela and Italy faced off in the WBC semifinal, with Venezuela besting the Italians 4-2. After the game, Trump took to Truth Social to express his pleasure with the outcome.
"Wow! Venezuela defeated Italy tonight, 4-2, in the WBC (Baseball!) Semifinal. They are looking really great. Good things are happening to Venezuela lately!" Trump posted. "I wonder what this magic is all about? STATEHOOD, #51, ANYONE?"
Trump's comments came at a time when his administration is facing increased scrutiny for its foreign policy. Earlier this year, the Trump administration arrested Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro on gun charges and brought him to New York to face trial.
The Trump administration has also bombed multiple alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, killing more than 130 people, without providing evidence that the boats were connected to the drug trade.
Political analysts and observers shared their reactions on social media.
"Delusional," political commentator Intare Batinya posted on X. "Venezuela is a sovereign nation, not a potential 51st state. Stick to golf and leave the geopolitical magic to the experts. Annexing a country over a baseball game is a new level of unhinged."
"This guy is so obsessed with making it about him that he might show up to Miami tomorrow with Maduro in chains," writer Matt Burnell posted on X.
The U.S. and Venezuela will play in the WBC final on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump's call for reinforcements to open the Strait of Hormuz just created the "worst of all possible worlds," according to one analyst.
On Monday, Trump made several contradictory statements about whether the U.S. needs other countries to help it open the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts of 20% of all global energy trade. The Iranian regime has effectively closed the Strait to the U.S. and Israeli ships in retaliation for the two countries' conducting a coordinated bombing campaign in Iran that began in late February.
Van Jones, a former Obama administration advisor, argued on CNN's "NewsNight" with Abby Phillip that the Trump administration's inability to deal with this problem in advance has created the "worst of all possible worlds."
"My only point is it's this kind of ready-fire-aim stuff," Jones said about the administration's strategy in Iran. "There could have been a situation where you had the economic pressure, then the protests, then the military strikes, and you might actually have regime change. Now, we have the worst of all possible worlds, and it's not clear how to get out of it."
Analysts have noted that Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is its "strongest card" against Trump, meaning the country is unlikely to bend easily on the issue. That puts Trump in an awkward position in a war that he has struggled to justify at home.
A recent Washington Post poll found that 65% of Americans don't believe Trump has adequately explained the goals of the U.S. in deciding to bomb Iran.
Political analysts and observers were stunned on Monday after President Donald Trump casually dropped a threat to start a new war during a press conference in the Oval Office.
During an exchange with Peter Doocy of Fox News, Trump said he will take Cuba "in some form" at some point during his presidency.
"All my life, I have been hearing about the United States and Cuba. You know, 'When are they going to do it?'" Trump said. "I do believe I will be having the honor of taking Cuba. That's a big honor."
"Whether I free it, take it. I think I can do anything I want with it, if you want to know the truth," Trump added.
The president's comments stunned political analysts and observers, who shared their reactions online.
"Dear god," David Adler, co-general coordinator of Progressive International, posted on X. "Donald Trump is once again announcing his plans for a violent invasion of Cuba. We must stop him. To stand up for Cuba — against this malignant colonial mindset — is to stand up for all of humanity."
"Like a small child talking about toys," Tom Nichols, staff writer at The Atlantic, posted on X.
"Every word uttered here is stark raving lunacy," retired Army officer Mike Colarusso posted on Bluesky.
"Hmmm … wonder if a certain dual-hatted Secretary of State/National Security Advisor has been playing to POTUS’s real estate developer instincts," Brian Finucane, senior advisor at International Crisis Group, posted on Bluesky.
Ex-GOP strategist Rick Wilson on Monday predicted what he thinks will be next for President Donald Trump as talks about who will succeed him in 2028 have heightened and questions over whether it will be Vice President JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Wilson was talking to MS NOW host Katy Tur about the dilemma Vance, who has been vocal about his stance against long wars in the Middle East, was facing. Vance has not publicly said he was opposed to the Iran war; however, reports have surfaced about his views on the conflict as Trump has shifted his messaging to his MAGA coalition about the military strikes.
"I think it's been notable, Rick, that we've seen so little of JD Vance lately," Tur said. "He's got a thing with the president that we might have to dip into at some point during this conversation, but other than that, he has been out of sight."
The last appearance the two apparently made was with the entire Trump administration Cabinet on March 7 at Dover Air Force Base, during the dignified transfer of six slain U.S. Army service members who were killed in Kuwait.
"I don't believe that's a coincidence, Katy," Wilson said. "I think that is a feature, not a bug, of the Vance position right now. He does come from a part of the party or the part of the MAGA movement that is very anti-interventionist. And they built the 'Peace President' illusion around Trump in 2024. And Vance put the bit in his teeth and ran with it. But now he's got a president who has launched a singularly reckless effort in the Persian Gulf that will end up sending American troops to fight and die in a pointless war. And I think Vance is very uncomfortable right now."
Trump has appeared to favor Rubio as his potential successor, according to reports.
"Marco's been getting a lot of praise," Wilson said. "Vance has been, you know, hiding in the tall grass. What goes on today in this presser with Trump could go either way. He could cut Vance's head off right there in public. And I wouldn't, if I was Vance, you know, act without getting a food taster going forward, if Trump really digs in on this war."
Last week, Vance dodged a direct question about how he viewed the military action in the Middle East. Vance was taking questions from reporters following his speech in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, where he campaigned for GOP candidates in a district Republicans were hoping to flip. Associated Press reporter Bill Barrow asked the vice president what advice he gave the president regarding military strikes and the economic fallout, including surging gas prices.
"Did you express any concerns like those you've expressed in the past on the possibility of those extended wars?" Barrow asked.
Vance refused to directly say whether he supports the joint U.S.-Israeli war in Iran.
"We're in the Situation Room, where you can't even take your iPod in there, or your AirPods, I guess what they're called, you can't take your iPhone in there, you can't take anything in there — because it is the most classified space anywhere in the world," Vance said.
"And I sit there with Pete Hegseth, and Gen. Caine, and Marco Rubio, and the entire White House team, and the president and I, and the entire senior team are talking about the options and about what we need to do and how we must best protect the American people," Vance added.
"I hate to disappoint you, but I'm not going to show up here in front of God and everybody else and tell you exactly what I said in that classified room partially because I don't wanna go to prison and partially because I think it's important for the President of the United States to talk to his advisors without those advisors running their mouth to the American media."
FBI insiders had sharp critiques of FBI Director Kash Patel's leadership amid rising terrorism threats, according to reports on Monday.
Patel has come under fire after four separate terror-related incidents since the Iran war began four weeks ago, and an overall increase in terrorism, The Daily Beast reported. Experts warned that Patel's missteps could lead to even bigger problems ahead.
A former FBI agent told Miranda Devine, conservative commentator for The New York Post, during her podcast Pod Force One that the FBI should have acted more urgently to review its surveillance methods, including its flagging systems, investigative and screening processes, and its threat monitoring systems.
“The FBI should be directly questioned on these matters on their prior knowledge and applicable actions,” the agent said. “If not, then this violence will continue to happen and intensify.”
Another former agent said that Patel had spent more time worried about the Epstein files and immigration, instead of focusing on safety.
“It is a zero-sum situation,” the other agent said. “When people are being redirected away from their primary national security duties, some things are bound to be missed.”
Ben Williamson, Assistant Director for Public Affairs at the FBI, was quick to respond to Devine's interview with the former FBI agents.
"This banger of an article blames Kash Patel for a convicted terrorist who was released from prison under the previous administration," Williamson wrote on X.
Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes announced he was "no longer MAGA," even though he was headed to Mar-a-Lago on Friday to ask President Donald Trump for a pardon.
While guest-hosting for conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on Monday, Rhodes revealed that he had broken with Trump over the war in Iran.
"We can't shut our eyes to the obvious role of the influence of Zionism in our government, of the Israeli people, intelligence services, Mossad, and others in our government," he began. "So that's why I no longer call myself MAGA. I am an America-only patriot. I'm a Christian nationalist, an American Christian nationalist. I have to open my eyes to the reality in front of my face, and it's caused a division inside of MAGA, and it's caused a division on the political right. But so be it."
"I don't want any foreign influence in our government whatsoever. And so, that's where we are," he continued. "There's a lot of Americans that are now becoming red-pilled and even black-pilled on the influence of Israel in our country and also on what's happening inside the Trump administration."
Rhodes noted that he was traveling to Mar-a-Lago on Friday and had "been invited there by the Republican Party chair of Palm Beach to come in and give us a shot, us and the other J6ers who have not yet been pardoned."
"And so I hope to be able to shake President Trump's hand and ask him for that pardon," he explained. "Again, my oath won't let me shut my eyes or shut my mouth about what's happening in our country. And so I can't let the fact that I'm still waiting for a pardon along with seven other Oath Keepers and those four Proud Boys."
"I can't let that shut me up about calling out what I see happening in our country," Rhodes added. "And so if I lose my pardon because of that, then so be it. That's where my mind's at. And I think I owe that to everybody who ever swore the oath like I did."
Charlie Kirk Show hosts Blake Neff and Andrew Kolvet pressed for the defeat of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), an ally of President Donald Trump, by hosting his two opponents, Paul Davis and Mark Lynch.
"I have been very loud about my criticisms of Sen. Lindsey Graham, the neocon warmonger from South Carolina, who has just seemed to stay in office for a very long time," Kolvet said on Monday's broadcast. "Charlie Kirk — Charlie always called him Lady Graham, as he called it... I'm pretty sure that's what a lot of people call him."
The host pointed to a 2023 quote from Kirk: "The base is done with neocons who want to spend our money to bomb faraway lands."
"Feels very relevant to our current moment," Kolvet told Davis. "And I'm saying, as long as it's not Lindsey Graham, I'm excited. That's how I feel right now."
"Well, as of today, Lindsey Graham's going down," Davis replied. "He's way below 50%. In South Carolina, we have a runoff state. So top two people going to runoff two weeks later."
"I'm a guy who's been MAGA from the jump," he continued. "I helped President Trump as a volunteer get elected. I served in his first term. I was what they call one of his killers."
For his part, Lynch criticized Graham for pledging to send South Carolinians to fight in the Middle East.
"Well, the people in South Carolina have said, 57% of them back when we polled in May, that they will not vote for Lindsey Graham again," Lynch explained. "They love Trump. They know Trump endorsed Lindsey, but that endorsement won't save him this time."
"You're not taking our children over there for your bloodlust financial gain," he added. "And we say no to that in South Carolina, and enough's enough. We've had enough in Lindsey."
"I think that's the bloodlust really resonates," Kolvet remarked. "It resonates with me. It resonates, I'm sure, with Blake. And of course, it resonated with Charlie."
