bllsbailey

[bllsbailey]

CartoonDems

[bllsbailey]

Trump Calls on Congress to Grill 'Dumb, Hardheaded' Fed Chair Powell

President Donald Trump, ahead of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's appearance before Congress on Tuesday, said he hopes that lawmakers work "this very dumb, hardheaded person over" and insisted that the United States would save billions of dollars if its interest rate were two to three points lower.

"'Too Late' Jerome Powell, of the Fed, will be in Congress today in order to explain, among other things, why he is refusing to lower the Rate," Trump posted on his Truth Social page early Tuesday morning. "Europe has had 10 cuts, we have had ZERO. No inflation, great economy – We should be at least two to three points lower."

He added that the cut "would save the USA 800 Billion Dollars Per Year, plus. What a difference this would make. If things later change to the negative, increase the Rate." He added that he hopes "Congress really works this very dumb, hardheaded person, over. We will be paying for his incompetence for many years to come. THE BOARD SHOULD ACTIVATE."

Last Friday, Trump suggested that he might change his mind about firing Powell, although he said in May he would not try to replace the chair before his term is over in May 2026.

Powell is testifying to the House Committee on Financial Services on Tuesday and before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, reports Barron's.

The chair is likely to face questions about the independence of the Fed amid growing pressure from Trump, who has repeatedly pushed for aggressive interest rate cuts.

Meanwhile, Fed Governor Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman, the Fed's vice chair for supervision, have signaled in recent days that interest cuts may be on the table as early as July, shifting from Powell's statements last week at the Federal Open Market Committee meeting, when he called for a pause while assessing the impact of Trump's tariffs.

Sandy Fitzgerald ✉

[bllsbailey]

AG Pam Bondi Claps Back at Bitter Dem Congresswoman in Epic Congressional Face-Off

If you watch public congressional hearings where lawmakers call in administration officials and grill them, you already know that it’s 90 percent theater and 10 percent actually accomplishing anything useful. 

And that’s being generous.

To be fair, both Democrats and Republicans engage in this drama, and they often hector the witnesses with questions and then interrupt them when they attempt to answer. Nevertheless, being a conservative, I admit to finding it highly enjoyable watching Louisiana GOP Sen. John Kennedy routinely force liberals to make absolute fools out of themselves—just by quoting their own words—in front of the nation.

On Monday, it was Pam Bondi’s turn to sit in the hot seat, and hoo boy, did things get heated when an aggrieved Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA)

tried to embarrass the attorney general at a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (that’s quite the mouthful). Bondi wasn't having it, and was giving it as good as she was getting it—but she could barely contain her laughter as the congresswoman embarrassed herself.

There were a number of tense moments, but perhaps the best came after Dean called Bondi incompetent. Bondi launched a firebomb in response:

“You want to talk about incompetence? You’re the one that said Joe Biden, on PBS, was competent! You had to retract those words, so don’t talk to me, don’t insult me publicly.”

It would seem to me that she has an excellent point there.

There was plenty more heat, but another Bondi smackdown stood out to me as she stood up to the extremely harried Rep. Dean. The Pennsylvania lawmaker called the AG unprofessional and repeatedly asked her questions about legal advice she gave to President Trump. Bondi in turn said over and over that she was unable to discuss such private legal advice. But Dean would not let up.

Finally Bondi let her have it.

“I will not discuss any advice that my Office of Legal Counsel gives to the president of the United States on any matter … And talking about unprofessional, you say the president wanted the [Qatar] jet because it’s pretty?” Bondi said. “Come on. This is a congressional hearing.”

Performances like these often seem pointless to the casual observer, and I can certainly see why. Most lawmakers just want their soundbite and actually have no interest whatsoever in what the witness has to say.

But they can be awfully entertaining. To me, watching Bondi (figuratively) spank this unfortunate “Karen” into oblivion is solid theater indeed.

[bllsbailey]

Former Obama Aide Says Trump Should Thank Past Presidents on Iran, CNN Commentator Sets Her Straight

Johanna Maska,

a longtime aide to Barack Obama, suggested that the Trump administration should share its current foreign policy victory in Iran with past presidents.

CNN senior political commentator Jennings gently reminded her that it's okay, on occasion, to give Trump credit for something.

The exchange took place during a panel discussion on "CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip" on Monday, when the host wondered if it might be too early to take a victory lap on the ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

Jennings was undaunted, announcing he'd be glad to take that lap.

“No. I‘ll be glad to take one," he said. "What he did was a courageous move."

"Today is a great day for America. It‘s a great day for Western civilization.”

Maska jumped in to take umbrage with President Trump taking credit for an operation that was, in her mind, several administrations in the making. Meaning she's unaware of the fact that, while past presidents have certainly talked about stopping Iran's nuclear ambitions, Trump was the only one with the courage to take action.

“Scott, my problem is the Trump Administration is taking a victory lap as if they‘re the only ones who planned this. And I understand he took the action, but this action was planned by the military for multiple administrations," said Maska.

An exasperated Jennings offered this advice: “So, occasionally, occasionally, the correct answer is, ‘Good job, President Trump. Well done.’ Occasionally, that‘s the right answer.”

On the matter of taking a victory lap over the ceasefire being perhaps premature, there may be some credence. The Middle East is a notorious tinder box in which any minor disagreement could spark new attacks. And, in fact, there has already been reporting that Iran has breached the ceasefire.

But upon learning that the President likely decimated Iran's ability to develop a nuclear weapon, brought two warring nations together to bring peace in under two weeks, and might have initiated a domino effect leading to peace elsewhere, the proper response is, as Scott said, 'Good job, President Trump. Well done.'

Jennings knew the Democrats on the panel would be unable to offer any positive feedback regarding Trump. He even tried offering advice before the show.

"I’m not accustomed to helping them, but before every Democrat goes on TV tonight to embarrass themselves here’s a better answer: Trump was right. Good job, Mr. President," Jennings wrote on X. "Will save you a lot of trouble and stupid video clips."

Maska jumped in and provided an immediate stupid clip. Should have taken the advice. 

You want Obama, he of pallets of cash fame via the Iran nuclear 'deal', to get credit for ending Iran's nuclear ambitions? You want Biden, whose ineffective diplomacy and relaxed sanctions enforcement allowed Iran to further their program, to get credit?

What alternate universe are we living in?

A more reasonable approach was taken by Brett McGurk, the National Security Council coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa during the Biden presidency, who offered surprising praise and optimism for Trump and his handling of the Iran conflict.

“Bottom line, this is about the best place we can be,” McGurk said. “I give extremely high marks to this national security team and President Trump for managing this crisis and getting where we are.”

In other words, 'Good job, Mr. President.'

[bllsbailey]

Strikes Resume After Iran Violates Trump's Ceasefire

On Monday afternoon, President Donald Trump declared a ceasefire betweeen the Israel and Iran, just two days after taking out the Iranian regime's nuclear infrastructure. Early Tuesday morning, the ceasefire went into effect.  

"THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!  DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!" Trump posted on Truth Social at 1:08 am Tuesday morning. 

Shortly afterward, Iran fired a number of ballistic missiles at civilians in Israel, breaking the ceasefire and denying they ever agreed to stop their assault. 

The Israeli Defense Forces resumed their air campaign against military targets in Iran after the regime sent millions of Israeli citizens into bomb shelters. 

"In light of the severe violation of the ceasefire carried out by the Iranian regime, we will respond with force," Israeli Chief of the General Staff LTG Eyal Zamir said Tuesday morning. 

Meanwhile Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the objectives of Operation Rising Lion, which started on June 12, have been completed. 

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened the Security Cabinet last night, together with the Defense Minister, the IDF Chief-of-Staff and the Director of the Mossad, in order to report that Israel has achieved all of the objectives of Operation Rising Lion, and much more. Israel has removed from over it a double existential threat – on both the nuclear issue and regarding ballistic missiles," the Prime Minster's office released in a statement Tuesday. 

"The IDF also achieved complete air superiority in the skies over Tehran, struck a severe blow to the military leadership and destroyed dozens of Iran's main regime targets. In the last several days, the IDF has also severely struck regime targets in the heart of Tehran, eliminated hundreds of militants from the Basij, the terrorist regime's instrument of repression, and eliminated an additional senior nuclear scientist," the statement contimues. "Israel thanks President Donald Trump and the US for their defensive support and for their participation in removing the Iranian nuclear threat. In light of having achieved the objectives of the operation, and in full coordination with President Trump, Israel agrees to the President's proposal for a bilateral ceasefire. Israel will respond forcefully to any violation of the ceasefire."

"In Operation Rising Lion, the State of Israel made great historic achievements and placed itself in the first rank of the world's major powers. This is a great success for the people of Israel and its fighters, who removed two existential threats to our country, and ensured the eternity of Israel," he concluded 

[bllsbailey]

Impeach: A Judge Decides to Ignore the Supreme Court on Deportation Ruling

The Supreme Court ruled that Trump's deportations to third-world countries can continue without limited notice, blocking an injunction by a little judge who sought to wrest immigration policy away from the executive. The high court slapped down Judge Brian Murphy’s order,

but like James Boasberg, another disgrace to the bench, he’s ignoring the ruling.  

This isn’t normal. While the president can remove people under the Alien Enemies Act, these judicial insurrectionists tried to claim that due process had to be applied. That’s ludicrous; none of the illegals Obama deported had court dates. It’s another episode of the judicial coup against the Trump administration. Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said to be prepared for fireworks over what they will do to hold this little judge accountable.

[bllsbailey]

Trump: Rep. Massie 'Not MAGA,' 'MAGA doesn’t want him'

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) listens at a press conference, alongside members of the Second Amendment Caucus, outside the U.S. Capitol Building

President Donald Trump slammed Kentucky GOP Representative Thomas Massie for criticizing U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict.

Trump has long been opposed to Massie (R-Ky.), previously backing his primary challenger in 2020, although Massie won with 81% of the vote.

“Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky is not MAGA, even though he likes to say he is. Actually, MAGA doesn’t want him, doesn’t know him, and doesn’t respect him. He is a negative force who always Votes ‘NO,’ no matter how good something may be,” Trump began.

The president previously criticized Massie, a fiscal hawk, for voting against his “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The representative argued that the spending bill is a “giant omnibus” that recklessly raises the debt ceiling while increasing government spending.

“Raising the debt ceiling in a massive omnibus bill is a blank check for more spending. I won’t support kicking the can down the road while our debt spirals out of control,” Massie wrote in an X post.

Trump believes that the bill is necessary to rebuild the military, boost the economy, and make America great again.

Trump went on to criticize Massie for opposing direct U.S. attacks against Iran, writing: “He’s a simple minded ‘grandstander’ who thinks it’s good politics for Iran to have the highest level Nuclear weapon, while at the same time yelling ‘DEATH TO AMERICA’ at every chance they get. Iran has killed and maimed thousands of Americas, and even took over the American Embassy in Tehran under the Carter Administration.”

“We had a spectacular military success yesterday, taking the ‘bomb’ right out of their hands (and they would use it if they could!) but, as usual, and despite all of the praise and accolades received, this ‘lightweight’ Congressman is against what was so brilliantly achieved last night in Iran. Massie is weak, ineffective, and votes ‘NO’ on virtually everything put before him (Rand Paul, Jr.), no matter how good something may be,” Trump continued.

“MAGA should drop this pathetic LOSER, Tom Massie, like the plague! The good news is that we will have a wonderful American Patriot running against him in the Republican Primary, and I’ll be out in Kentucky campaigning really hard. MAGA is not about lazy, grandstanding, nonproductive politicians, of which Thomas Massie is definitely one,” he added.

Meanwhile, Massie has called President Trump’s strikes on Iran unconstitutional, while introducing a War Powers Resolution. It would require Trump to withdraw all U.S. attacks against Iran, unless he receives a vote from Congress as only Congress has the authority to declare war.

The Trump administration has maintained that Saturday’s strike was not a declaration of war. Vice President JD Vance stated that the United States is not at war with Iran, but rather “we’re at war with Iran’s nuclear program.”

“But what we said to the Iranians is, we do not want war with Iran. We actually want peace, but we want peace in the context of them not having a nuclear weapons program, and that’s exactly what the president accomplished last night,” Vance stated.

[bllsbailey]

Trump: I think the ceasefire is unlimited

Israel’s air defense targets Iranian missiles in the sky of Tel Aviv in Israel, on June 16, 2025.

President Donald Trump is confident that the ceasefire he negotiated between Israel and Iran will be lasting, not temporary.

During a phone interview with NBC News on Monday, Trump stated that the ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran marked “a wonderful day for the world, in my opinion.”

“It’s a great day for America. It’s a great day for the Middle East. I’m very happy to have been able to get the job done,” Trump said. “A lot of people were dying, and it was only going to get worse. It would have brought the whole Middle East down.” “I think the ceasefire is unlimited. It’s going to go forever,” the president said.

According to senior administration sources, Trump secured the Israel-Iran ceasefire deal with the help of Qatar.

Trump persuaded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire if Iran complied. He then tasked Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to convince Iran to agree to a ceasefire.

Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts

[bllsbailey]

CartoonDems

[bllsbailey]

Israel Hits Iranian Government Targets After US Barrage

Israel hit Iranian government targets in Tehran Monday in a series of strikes that followed a salvo of missiles and drones fired by Iran at Israel in the wake of the Trump administration’s massive strikes on Iranian nuclear sites the day before.

The Israeli military also confirmed it struck roads around Iran’s Fordo enrichment facility to obstruct access to the site. The underground site was one of those hit in Sunday’s attack by the United States on three nuclear facilities. The Israeli military did not elaborate.

In Tehran attacks, Israel’s Defense Ministry said it hit targets that included the notorious Evin Prison in the Iranian capital and the security headquarters of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guards.

“The Iranian dictator will be punished with full force for attacking the Israeli home front,” the Ministry said.

In Vienna, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said he expected there to be heavy damage at the Fordo facility already following the Sunday's U.S. airstrike there with sophisticated bunker-buster bombs.

“Given the explosive payload utilized ... very significant damage ... is expected to have occurred,” said Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

With the strikes on Sunday on Iranian nuclear sites, the United States inserted itself into Israel’s war, prompting fears of a wider regional conflict. Iran said the U.S. had crossed “a very big red line” with its risky gambit to strike the three sites with missiles and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs.

Several Iranian officials, including Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, have claimed Iran removed nuclear material from targeted sites ahead of time.

Grossi told the IAEA board of governors on Monday that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had informed him on June 13 that Iran would “adopt special measures to protect nuclear equipment and materials.”

“I indicated that any transfer of nuclear material from a safeguarded facility to another location in Iran must be declared,” Grossi said, without saying whether Iran had responded.

Iran described its Monday attack on Israel as as a new wave of its Operation “True Promise 3,” saying it was targeting the Israeli cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv, according to Iranian state television.

Explosions were also heard in Jerusalem. There were no immediate reports of damage.

In Iran, witnesses reported Israeli airstrikes hit areas around Iran’s capital, Tehran, around midday. Iranian state television confirmed one Israeli strike hit the gate of Evin Prison.

The report shared what appeared to be black-and-white-surveillance footage of the strike. The prison is known for holding dual nationals and Westerners often used by Iran as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West.

Evin also has specialized units for political prisoners and those with Western ties, run by the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which answers only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The facility is the target of both U.S. and European Union sanctions.

Earlier Monday, Iranian Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, the chief of joint staff of armed forces, warned Washington its strikes had given Iranian forces a “free hand “ to "act against U.S. interests and its army.”

Tens of thousands of American troops are based in the Middle East, many in locations within range of short-range Iranian missiles.

The U.S. described its Sunday attack on the Fordo and Natanz enrichment facilities, as well as the Isfahan nuclear sit, as a one-off to take out Iran's nuclear program, but President Donald Trump has warned of additional strikes if Tehran retaliates.

Mousavi described the American attacks as violating Iran’s sovereignty and being tantamount to invading the country, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

In the wake of the American attacks, calls came from across the globe for de-escalation and the return to diplomacy to try and resolve the conflict.

On Monday, the European Union's top diplomat said the bloc remained “very much focused on the diplomatic solution.”

“The concerns of retaliation and this war escalating are huge,” Kaja Kallas said at the start of a foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels where Iran has jumped to the top of the agenda.

“Especially closing of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran is something that would be extremely dangerous and not good for anybody,” Kallas said, referring to a maritime route crucial for oil transport.

After Sunday's attacks, Iranian officials repeated their longtime threats of possibly closing the key shipping lane.

Iran, which insists its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only, previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors access to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal with the U.S., France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in exchange for sanctions relief.

But after Trump pulled the U.S. unilaterally out of the deal during his first term, Iran began enriching uranium up to 60% — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90% — and restricting access to its nuclear facilities.

As he arrived in Brussels on Monday for a meeting with his EU counterparts, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul renewed calls for Iran to agree again to direct talks with the United States but says Europe still has a role to play.

“We already made it very clear to the Iranian side that a real precondition for a settlement to the conflict is that Iran be ready to negotiate directly with the U.S.,” he said, while adding that the European group known as the E3 “will contribute what we can.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was meeting on Monday in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, one of Iran's key allies.

[bllsbailey]

Vote for the Crook in NYC – It's Important! And Andrew Cuomo Will Win.

A big election is coming on Tuesday. In New York City, the U.S.’s largest city, the voters will be voting for the Democrat nominee for mayor using a ranked voting system (for only the second election cycle). In this heavily blue city, this will likely be the election that counts. 

Now, you probably have heard some news about the Democrat who supposedly has the big MOMENTUM - Zohran Mamdani! The 33-year-old is a member of the radical Democratic Socialists of America, was born in Uganda of Muslim Indian parents, and is a raging antisemite. He is young, good-looking, and has exciting commercials where he talks about providing free stuff to the voters and repealing the laws of supply and demand (yes, the crazed Democrat left-wing base thinks that’s all possible). So, of course, the left-wing Democrat base in the city (and nationally) loves him.

Unfortunately for Mamdani, and fortunately for the rest of NYC, he is going to lose, probably by a decent margin, on Tuesday. And he and his forces actually are partly responsible.

Here’s why.

Mamdani, as a lunatic socialist who hates Jews in NYC, has a tough field to hoe. In 2021, the last mayoral race, there were over 900,000 voters in the Democrat primary. Eric Adams ran and won with 289,000 in the first round, and he was running as a tough-on-crime, moderate liberal establishment, black candidate. He and two others in the top four – Kathryn Garcia and Andrew Yang – were all some kind of moderates, although Yang did have some flaky ideas, now and then. But none of them were raging antisemites.

And being an antisemite is a huge problem for Mamdani - NYC has some 1.5 million Jews, which is about 12 percent of the city’s residents. Virtually all of them, including the Orthodox who are DINOs, vote in the Democrat primary.

For Mamdani to win this race, he needed a very low turnout, so his very guaranteed to vote left-wing base would make up a larger share of that low turnout. But the Mamdani forces, and the MSM that supports him, got too excited, and they greatly played up his chances to win, based largely on a suspect poll.

Which was exactly what the other main Democrat candidate, Andrew Cuomo, wanted. Cuomo, who had earlier had to resign from the New York governorship in scandal, had his own weaknesses, and they would have been a major problem for him if he was not faced with such a problematic opponent. But he had a strategy. Cuomo used the boomlet for Mamdani to drive up the election interest in moderate voters, and especially in Jewish voters, who might otherwise have not voted, or not voted for him. These voters will now come out, and they will vote for Cuomo, as the main candidate standing in the way of Mamdani. Orthodox Jewish voters, who tend to vote as a bloc, have endorsed Cuomo despite their anger at his COVID actions. Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg has endorsed Cuomo, despite their past differences, because he is both Jewish and a businessman. Former President Bill Clinton, the leading moderate Democrat in the nation, has also endorsed Cuomo. 

Cuomo also has developed a huge edge in funding. In NYC, there is a cap on political spending, at $7.9 million for each candidate. Cuomo will easily hit that. Mamdani will as well – he has spent $6.3 so far, and he has another $2 million in cash on hand. (But he won’t be able to break the cap, so he will be limited to only the $7.9 million.) However, Cuomo is crushing Mamdani in independent expenditures: 

While New York limits mayoral candidates to less than $8 million in direct spending on their campaign, Cuomo turned to PACs and Super PACs to skirt the financial limits. The former governor’s candidacy has seen over $24 million in total spending, most of it from outside groups and his primary Super PAC, called Fix the City. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been the single largest backer of Cuomo’s candidacy, dumping over $8 million into Fix the City.

This is because business interests are dead set against a victory by a socialist. Meanwhile, the several Super PACs supporting Mamdani have spent only $371,000. 

More than anything else, the NYC mayor’s race for the Democrat nomination reminds me of the Louisiana Governor’s race of 1991. In that race, a crooked former governor, Edwin Edwards, won a 61 percent to 39 percent victory over noted racist and KKK member David Duke. Edwards was incredibly unpopular, but it didn’t matter, because the voters understood how dangerous a Duke victory was.

Some people may remember this election based on the famous bumper sticker that was made for the race. It read - VOTE FOR THE CROOK: IT’S IMPORTANT.

That same bumper sticker could be used in the 2025 NYC Democrat primary race for mayor, as well.

[bllsbailey]

Whoops: If You Didn't Think Iran Was Working on Nukes, Check Out What This Russian Leader Just Admitted

I wrote earlier about Secretary of State Marco Rubio's interaction with "Face the Nation" host Margaret Brennan. 

Brennan seemed to think she knew more about intel and policy than Rubio. Rubio schooled her, explaining it was enough to know they had all the elements for the weapon, including the enrichment and the ability to deliver it. He explained that that level of enrichment was far beyond what was necessary for civil nuclear needs. That fact made their purpose apparent.

But if there was any doubt about what Iran was doing, what Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev tweeted on Sunday should remove all doubt. Medvedev is the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation. 

I'll start by saying an interesting thing about the strike was how silent - generally speaking - Iran's buddies Russia and China had been prior. So what Medvedev is saying here is bluster to appear to hold up their ally. 

However, within these two tweets, he's throwing them under the bus and providing more support for President Donald Trump's decision. 

Medvedev claims there wasn't a lot of damage. Uh, yeah, sure. 

Uh, yeah, sure. Meanwhile, as we reported, the satellite images show that part of the mountain protecting the Fordow site was obliterated. The initial reports are that Natanz was destroyed and they're saying there was major damage in Isfahan. So Medvedev is just full of it. That's posturing. 

But here's the kicker where he accidentally (deliberately?) throws Iran under the bus. 

"The enrichment of nuclear material — and, now we can say it outright, the future production of nuclear weapons — will continue," Medvedev said. Oh, hey, that sure looks like an admission to me, if there was ever any doubt. Paging Margaret Brennan or any other liberal who was unsure. Whether he gets it or not, Medvedev provided golden support for Trump's decision. 

But then he tries to cover with bluster, "A number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads." Really? What countries? 

Again, bull cookies. Let's walk through this. 

First, why would they need to get gifts of nukes if their capability was still fine, as he alleged? Of course, because the capability just went up in smoke. Thanks for telling us that, Dmitry. 

Second, who is going to give them nukes? Russia? They may want to bluster in the wake of the attack, but I don't think they want to further insert themselves into this. Plus they're already stretched thin in Ukraine and I'm sure that would violate any number of agreements. 

Third, if they wanted to, why haven't they given it to them in the past? But they didn't. Then too, I suspect Israel knows when the Ayatollah turns on his light at night, so I think it would be a big problem for whoever was stupid enough to try this. It would not be worth the blowback, and I don't think any country is going to be giving up their nuclear weapons to another country, particularly under these circumstances. 

[bllsbailey]

Is This Why the Left Is Throwing a Tantrum Over Trump's Air Strikes Against Iran?

The reaction was predictable—the copy was laughable. After President Donald Trump launched precision air strikes against numerous Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend, a shambolic, Trump-deranged, brain-rotted Democratic Party trashed the president for engaging in another endless war with this illegal military action. They can’t think of anything that doesn’t make them look like idiots.

Remove Trump, I’d say there would be healthy supermajorities in both chambers supporting these strikes. That’s what’s a bit humorous here. Based on some of the statements, Barack Obama would’ve been impeached by his own party for the raid that killed Osama bin Laden and his air campaign against Gaddafi in Libya.  

We have bombed a nation we are not at war with and have done so without Congress knowing about it, voting on it or approving it. President Trump’s actions are not only unconstitutional—they are dangerous. As Ranking Member of the Military Personnel Subcommittee I am especially…— Chrissy Houlahan (@RepHoulahan) June 22, 2025

My statement on Trump’s strikes on Iran. pic.twitter.com/4SM9L64Wcq— Rep. Mikie Sherrill (@RepSherrill) June 22, 2025

My statement on U.S. strikes in Iran: pic.twitter.com/RRCzidsMHF— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) June 22, 2025

— Adam Schiff (@SenAdamSchiff) June 22, 2025

Endless war? So, what was Joe Biden’s venture in Ukraine? It circles back to a party that stands for nothing except opposing Trump, and it’s made them look unhinged. Second, don’t you love the ‘there were no imminent signs of a threat from Iran’ talking point? Guys, they were building nuclear weapons. That’s a fact; I don’t care what these Eurotrash intel agencies say. But we all know what the real issue is here, which Bonchie at RedState pointed out—the Democrats are extra sensitive and huffy because now the Obama legacy is truly trashed and forgettable. There’s nothing left; smashed into dust in less than 10 years.  

There's nothing left of Obama's legacy at this point. It's gone.— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) June 22, 2025

https://t.co/nT3rDGWmS4 pic.twitter.com/VoBg0bivct— Siraj Hashmi (@SirajAHashmi) June 22, 2025

The reason Iran has the ability to retaliate at all is because of you traitorous fools. Obama gave the Iranian terrorist regime palettes of cash. Trump gave them what they deserved. https://t.co/Tvspsnxm7b— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) June 22, 2025

What Trump did last night was inevitably going to come across Obama’s desk if he didn’t get that atrocious nuclear deal through. No deal, and Obama would’ve had to bomb some facilities. He didn’t want to do that. Trump had a window for a deal and then took action to protect American national security interests. Iran having nuclear weapons is intolerable—that’s a bipartisan consensus. And yet, we have a Democratic Party that’s foaming at the mouth, not because Trump took military action that they likely support but can’t say so, but because the last charismatic Democratic leader just had his last foreign policy achievement erased in less than 36 hours. 

The context matters. We know - for certain - there is a diplomatic path to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. The Obama agreement was working. And as late as a week ago, Iran was back at the table again. Which makes this attack - with all its enormous risks - so reckless.— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) June 22, 2025

[bllsbailey]

Yeah, I Don't Care If Dems Whine About Not Being Looped in on the Iran Air Strikes

The Democratic Party is going through it right now: they all agree that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons, but they also don’t want to do anything to stop them from accomplishing that feat. Tehran cannot have nukes, but we cannot bomb them because of x, y, and z—all the reasons they’ve given are idiotic. When you boil everything down, it’s because Trump is president. What else is new?

As Democrats fail to get a grip, you know they and their supporters are likely going to melt down again over what happened before the strikes: Trump informed Republican leadership before the B-2 bombers dropped their payload, but kept Democrats in the dark (via Axios):  

Top Democrats on Capitol Hill say they weren't briefed in advance of the U.S. attack on Iran on Saturday, multiple sources familiar with the discussions told Axios.  Why it matters: Democrats left Capitol Hill for the Juneteenth holiday recess without answers to what they said were basic questions about a potential strike against Iran.  "Cost, duration, risk to our troops, strategy — the basics before we make a decision of this consequence," Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Axios last week. Zoom in: Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the top Democrats on the Senate and House Intelligence panels, weren't briefed before the attack, sources familiar told Axios on Saturday.  Their Republican counterparts were given advance notice. 

There’s a simple reason for that move: Democrats would’ve leaked it. Meanwhile, the Pentagon, which I was told was in a total state of disarray under Pete Hegseth, kept this mission under wraps for all the right reasons.  

Democrats can’t be trusted. Their opinions on public policy, their supporters—it’s all to the detriment of the health of the country. They cannot and shall not be privy to operations of this nature. 

[bllsbailey]

Russian leader claims multiple nations are ‘ready to directly supply Iran’ with nuclear weapons following U.S. attack

Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev looks on prior to the Victory Day military parade

Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev warned that multiple nations are “ready” to supply Iran with nuclear warheads following the United States’ airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities on Saturday.

Medvedev, a former Russian president and current deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council issued a series of X posts following the United States’ attack against Iran.

Medvedev stated Iran’s “enrichment of nuclear material — and, now we can say it outright, the future production of nuclear weapons — will continue.”

Medvedev also claimed that a “number of countries” are “ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads,” without directly naming any of the supposed nations, although Russia has consistently backed Iran’s nuclear program.

“The US is now entangled in a new conflict, with prospects of a ground operation looming on the horizon,” Medvedev added. “Donald Trump, once hailed as ‘president of peace,’ has now pushed the US into another war.”

Medvedev’s comments come as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that he will be traveling to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss an Iranian response to the United States.

“We enjoy a strategic partnership, and we will always consult with each other and coordinate our positions,” Araghchi stated.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Ministry denounced the U.S. strikes, arguing that they “flagrantly violate international law.”

“The irresponsible decision to subject the territory of a sovereign state to missile and bomb attacks, whatever the arguments it may be presented with, flagrantly violates international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council,” Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated on Sunday.

Additionally, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on Sunday that the United States will suffer “everlasting consequences” as a result of its military action against Iranian nuclear facilities, while characterizing Iran’s nuclear program as “peaceful.”

“The United States, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran’s peaceful nuclear installations. The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences. Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior,” Araghchi wrote in an X post.

“In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defense, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people,” he added.

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 22, 2025

[bllsbailey]

DHS warns of potential terrorist sleeper cells in the U.S. following airstrikes against Iran

The city skyline is shown during the TIVO launch at Top of the Rock on March 2, 2010 in New York City.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned about potential terrorist sleeper cells activating in the United States following the U.S. attack against Iranian nuclear facilities.

The National Terrorism Advisory System released a bulletin on Sunday, warning Americans to stay vigilant as the “ongoing Iran conflict is causing a heightened threat environment in the United States.”

The bulletin stated that pro-Iranian hackers are “likely” to target U.S. networks, while also showing concern for Iranian leadership potentially issuing a religious ruling calling for violence in the United States.

“The likelihood of violent extremists in the Homeland independently mobilizing to violence in response to the conflict would likely increase if Iranian leadership issued a religious ruling calling for retaliatory violence against targets in the Homeland. Multiple recent Homeland terrorist attacks have been motivated by anti-Semitic or anti-Israel sentiment, and the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict could contribute to US-based individuals plotting additional attacks,” the bulletin stated.

“Since the start of the conflict, we have seen media releases by foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) — including HAMAS, Lebanese Hizballah, the Houthis, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, among others—some of which have called for violence against US assets and personnel in the Middle East because of Israel’s attack,” it continued. “The conflict could also motivate violent extremists and hate crime perpetrators seeking to attack targets perceived to be Jewish, pro-Israel, or linked to the US government or military in the Homeland.”

The announcement follows after the New York Police Department issued a post announcing additional deployment and “resources to religious, cultural, and diplomatic sites across NYC and coordinating with our federal partners.”

We’re tracking the situation unfolding in Iran. Out of an abundance of caution, we're deploying additional resources to religious, cultural, and diplomatic sites across NYC and coordinating with our federal partners. We’ll continue to monitor for any potential impact to NYC.— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) June 22, 2025

Additionally, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem issued an announcement on Sunday, stating: “It is our duty to keep the nation safe and informed, especially during times of conflict.”

“The ongoing Israel-Iran conflict brings the possibility of increased threat to the homeland in the form of possible cyberattacks, acts of violence, and antisemitic hate crimes,” Noem stated.

The bulletin is in direct response to the United States air striking Iranian nuclear facilities which took place on Saturday night and included the utilization of 14 30,000 pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs, which was the first ever operational usage of the weapon, according to Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Dan Caine.

The heightened threat alert is set to expire on September 22, 2025.