Karoline Leavitt dismisses MAGA dissent on Iran while praising Trump for ‘steps towards peace'
Speaking to Fox News host Brian Kilmeade on Monday (23 June), the White House press secretary was grilled on discontent from high-ranking GOP figures, including Steve Bannon and Marjorie Taylor Green.
Ms Leavitt said: 'One of the things that makes President Trump a great leader is his ability to listen to people with different perspectives but ultimately make a decision based on his own instinct and the intelligence that he saw.'
The president is taking steps to forge a 'peaceful, prosperous Middle East', she added.
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Spectator
25 minutes ago
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Could the Arctic be key to ending the Ukraine war?
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An Arctic agreement between the US and Russia could revive energy collaboration between the two countries on a breathtaking scale. A deal would be massively lucrative for both sides. The Arctic contains an estimated 13 per cent of the world's undiscovered oil, roughly 90 billion barrels, and 30 per cent of its undiscovered natural gas. Russia controls around half of that, with explorers pointing to 2,300 million metric tons of oil and condensate, and 35,700 billion cubic metres of gas. It's a bonanza tailor-made for Trump's America First. Parlay US expertise and capital into these frozen assets and the pay-off would be staggering. The shipping upside is no less compelling. The Northern Sea Route offers the promise of slashing shipping times between Asia and Europe by up to 50 per cent. As melting ice slowly opens the Arctic lanes, that cut becomes ever more real: less fuel burned, no queueing at chokepoints, and avoidance of piracy hotspots. 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Trump's leverage is blunt. Kyiv's very survival depends on American weapons and cash. By threatening to cut them off, Trump can force Zelensky to the table on terms Kyiv has long rejected. For Trump, this is straight from his negotiating playbook: create a crisis point, hold the most valuable card, and make sure everyone knows you are prepared to walk away. For Zelensky, the choice would be between accepting a peace agreement that leaves Ukraine truncated, or facing a war without US backing. Ukraine's position is fragile. Its army is drained, its economy battered, and its war effort hinges on western aid. European and UK promises mean little without US firepower and financing. If Trump decides to pivot towards an Arctic bargain with Putin, Kyiv may need to fall in line or face the battlefield more or less alone. Zelensky can draw red lines, but without American support they'll count for little. 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The Independent
25 minutes ago
- The Independent
Ukraine's soldiers ‘preparing for a long war' as peace talks continue
Ukrainian soldiers have expressed profound scepticism about ongoing peace talks, believing they are too far removed from the brutal reality of the battlefield to yield lasting results. Suggestions by United States President Donald Trump regarding territorial exchanges and reports of abandoning the Donetsk region have deepened confusion among Ukrainian fighting forces. Many soldiers anticipate a prolonged conflict, expecting at best a brief pause in hostilities before Russia resumes its assault with greater force. 'We are preparing for a long war. We have no illusions that Russia will stop,' said Serhii Filimonov, commander of the 'Da Vinci Wolves' battalion of the 59th brigade. Heavy fighting continues around Pokrovsk, a key Russian target, with soldiers noting that hostilities often intensify whenever new peace talks are initiated.
The Independent
25 minutes ago
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Fox News pundit contradicts Trump's claims that ‘crime is out of control' in the nation's capital
Former Washington, D.C., homicide detective and defense attorney Ted Williams has taken to Fox News to reject President Donald Trump 's contention that 'crime is out of control' in the nation's capital. Over the weekend, Trump announced that he would be staging a press conference on Monday to address the matter, saying of the city: 'It has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the World. It will soon be one of the safest!!!' He subsequently insisted that D.C.'s homeless citizens 'move out, IMMEDIATELY,' adding: 'We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don't have to move out. We're going to put you in jail where you belong.' It was then reported that the president is sending 120 FBI agents on overnight shifts to help local law enforcement battle carjackings and other violent crime in D.C. His rhetoric has escalated since former DOGE employee Edward Coristine, also known as 'Big Balls,' was beaten up by muggers eight days ago when he refused to give up his car during an attempted hijacking. Asked by Fox anchor Jon Scott about D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser 's comment that violent crime is down 61 percent in the district from two years ago, Williams said: 'I have to agree with the mayor here… Yes, there is crime, and there will always be crimes in every major metropolitan city in this country. 'What I really found troubling and, I gotta tell you, as a lawyer I found it troubling… is that the President of the United States would say that crime is out of control. 'I take exception to that. Crime is not out of control in the District of Columbia. Yes, you do have some juveniles here that are out of control and those juveniles need to be addressed and arrested.' But, he continued: 'I think that even the Metropolitan Police Department is happy that the president has married up the federal agencies that help to try to combat crime in the District of Columbia.' Scott went on to present Williams with official data suggesting that juvenile offenders were the real problem, given that young people have been involved in half of the attempted carjackings this year and that 2,000 teens have been arrested in D.C. over the last two years. 'In any major metropolitan city you are going to have, unfortunately, juveniles committing crimes,' he responded. The ex-cop invoked the attack on Coristine as the likely motivation for Trump's new hard-line stance and added: 'I would like to ask Mr Trump: 'Where were you last month when a three-year-old child, Honesty Cheadle, was shot and killed as the result of a crime in the District of Columbia?' I didn't hear Mr Trump speaking out then. 'I want Mr Trump to do something for the district. Continue to have the federal officers partner with the district officers to try to bring down crime. But don't use this as a pretext to actually eradicate home rule... That seems to be what Mr Trump is interested in.'
