Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq fall as Trump calls for 'unconditional surrender' of Iran
US stocks fell on Tuesday amid dwindling hopes for a quick resolution to Israel-Iran hostilities, as President Trump heightened his rhetoric against Iran and called for an "unconditional surrender."
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US knows where the country's leader is hiding, adding, "He is an easy target, but is safe there — We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don't want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin."
Stock losses picked up steam shortly following the post. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) fell around 0.4%, while the benchmark S&P 500 (^GSPC) dipped roughly 0.5%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) also pulled back around 0.5%.
Overall, US stocks have so far proved resilient amid the conflict. The major gauges ended higher on Monday after a report that Iran sought a ceasefire and a return to nuclear program negotiations.
But new reports on Tuesday indicated that the US is contemplating military strikes against Iran, heightening concerns about the possibility of a full-scale regional conflict.
Oil prices jumped about 3% as investors weighed the stream of remarks and reports, with Brent futures (BZ=F) rising above $75 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate (CL=F) crude hovering just below $74.
At the same time, Wall Street is also grappling with concerns over Trump's trade policy and the direction of US interest rates. As the date for lifting the pause on Trump's sweeping tariffs approaches, US officials have used the G7 summit to pursue trade deals.
The first completed deal emerged Monday, when Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed off on the US-UK trade pact agreed in May. So far, other deals have proved elusive.
Read more: The latest on Trump's tariffs
Meanwhile, in the week's key data release, US retail sales fell 0.9% in May, more than economists expected, as consumers pulled back from a pre-tariff splurge.
Wall Street is looking to the Federal Reserve's two-day meeting that starts on Tuesday for clues to whether policymakers still want to cut interest rates twice in 2025, given recent signs of cooling inflation. The Fed is expected to hold rates steady in its decision on Wednesday.
In the latest in a string of signs that market sentiment has recovered significantly from the heigh of April's tariff turmoil, Bank of America's June Global Fund Manager's Survey showed 66% of investors said they believe the global economy will achieve a "soft landing," in which inflation falls to the Fed's 2% target without an outright downturn in economic activity.
The 8-month high among respondents believing a soft landing is in sight, comes as recession probabilities have tumbled over the past month while consumers worst fears about a tariff-driven inflation spike have also subsided.
Bank of America Global Research chief investment strategist Michael Hartnett wrote the survey showed, "investor sentiment back to pre-Liberation Day 'Goldilocks bull' levels."
Yahoo Finance's Ines Ferré reports:
Read more here.
JetBlue's (JBLU) stock declined more than 3% on Tuesday after the company revealed plans to further reduce costs and scale back flights.
Yahoo Finance's Brooke DiPalma reports:
Read more here.
A prolonged conflict between Israel and Iran may do more than rattle energy markets. One argument on Wall Street is that it could push the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates sooner than expected.
"A sustained rise in oil prices could cause the Fed to strike a more dovish tone," Oxford Economics chief US economist Ryan Sweet wrote in a recent note to clients, arguing that an extended oil shock could dent demand and potentially spill over into an otherwise resilient labor market.
That's because, historically, sudden spikes in oil prices tend to cause only a temporary rise in inflation that the Fed usually overlooks. But with the economy already softening, a persistent surge could pose a bigger threat to growth and jobs than to inflation itself.
"The economy has slowed and is vulnerable to anything else going wrong, including a sudden and persistent increase in oil prices," Sweet said. "If the Fed views the hit to the economy and the labor market as greater than the temporary boost to inflation, the central bank could signal that it's open to cutting interest rates sooner."
On Tuesday, oil prices rallied, with international benchmark Brent (BZ=F) rising above $75 a barrel after President Trump called for Tehran residents to evacuate and rebuffed the idea of an Israel-Iran ceasefire.
That contrasted with optimism on Monday, when the Wall Street Journal reported that tensions between Iran and Israel had eased, sparking a rally in US equities and stabilizing crude oil prices following last week's biggest price surge in three years.
Sweet, whose baseline forecast is that the Fed will deliver its first rate cut in December, noted it may take weeks before markets gain a clearer sense of the direction of oil prices.
Read more here.
Solar stocks were pummeled in early afternoon trading after the Senate's version of President Trump's tax and spending bill showed that Republicans are united in eliminating tax credits for clean energy.
The Senate's changes to the bill, released on Monday, called for a total phaseout of solar and wind credits by 2028, prompting the sell-off in solar names.
Meanwhile, the revisions extended tax incentives for hydropower, nuclear, and geothermal energy until 2036, boosting shares of Sam Altman-backed nuclear energy startup Oklo (OKLO) and other energy names that are seen as winners.
Read more about what the Senate's budget blueprint means for business.
Yahoo Finance's Dan Howley and Alexis Keenan report:
Read more here.
US stocks slid on Tuesday as President Trump played down the prospect of a truce between Israel and Iran and retail sales came in below expectations.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) fell around 0.4%, while the benchmark S&P 500 (^GSPC) dipped roughly 0.3%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) also pulled back 0.3%.
Kraft Heinz (KHC) stock edged higher after the maker of Kool-Aid and Jell-O said it's eliminating synthetic dyes across the remaining 10% of its US portfolio that contains them.
Yahoo Finance's Brooke DiPalma reports that Kraft Heinz will replace artificial dyes with natural colors or reinvent items with new colors. The company will also refrain from launching new products that contain food additives.
This announcement comes amid growing scrutiny of food additives. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said he wants to remove artificial coloring from the food supply by the time he leaves office.
Read more here.
The US Department of Defense announced Monday that it awarded OpenAI (OPAI.PVT) a $200 million contract to "develop prototype frontier AI capabilities to address critical national security challenges in both warfighting and enterprise domains."
"This contract is one of the largest Department of Defense contracts given to a software provider when measured by annual contract value," William Blair analyst Louie DiPalma wrote in a note to clients Monday.
DiPalma said that the "contract announcement could signal increased competition from OpenAI going forward" for Palantir (PLTR) "if OpenAI moves into Palantir's ontology territory." Ontology refers to an operational layer in Palantir's platform.
DiPalma noted that Palantir paved the way for OpenAI and others.
"Palantir has pioneered software providers serving as prime contractors for Department of Defense programs," DiPalma wrote. "Traditionally, software providers served as subcontractors to systems integrators. Under the new administration, the Department of Defense is looking to contract directly with commercial software providers when possible."
Palantir rose less than 1% on Tuesday.
In December, Palantir shares dropped as much as 5% when defense tech firm Anduril (ANIN.PVT) announced a partnership with OpenAI to "develop and responsibly deploy advanced artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for national security missions."
Retail sales fell in May, dragged down by declines in gas and auto purchases during the second month that a wide array of President Trump's tariffs were in effect.
Headline retail sales declined 0.9% in May, surpassing economists' expectations for a 0.6% decline month on month. By comparison, sales decreased 0.1% in April, according to revised Census Bureau data. A 2% decline in gasoline sales, a 3.5% slide in auto purchases, and a 2.7% decline in building materials drove the May headline number lower.
There was some positive news in the release: The control group in Thursday's release, which excludes several volatile categories and factors into the gross domestic product (GDP) reading for the quarter, rose 0.4%. That compares with a 0.1% decrease seen in April. Economists expected a 0.3% increase.
May sales, excluding auto and gas, declined 0.1%. Economists had expected a 0.3% rise. In April, sales excluding auto and gas rose 0.1%.
Reddit stock (RDDT) rose roughly 5% in premarket trading on Tuesday following the social media platform's release of new AI ad tools at the Cannes Lions festival for marketers on its platform.
Meanwhile, broader S&P 500 futures (ES=F) fell by 0.3%.
The gain follows Reddit's 6.8% jump Monday, after media reports spotlighted a recent analysis from data analytics firm Semrush, showing that Reddit is the second most cited website in Google AI overviews.
'Reddit may also perform well because Google has a partnership with Reddit and uses Reddit data to train its systems,' Semrush analyst Rachel Handley wrote in the June 9 analysis. Google announced its $60 million deal with Reddit last February.
Despite Reddit stock's climb this week, shares are far below their high of above $230 in February. The stock traded at around $131 before the market open Tuesday.
Yahoo Finance's Hamza Shaban writes in today's Morning Brief newsletter:
Read more here.
A standout record-setting rally in gold (GC=F) is about to peter out, Citigroup strategists said as they forecast a slide back below $3,000 an ounce for the precious metal in coming quarters.
Bloomberg reports:
Read more here.
Economic data: Retail sales (May); Industrial production (May); NAHB housing market index (June); Import price index (May)
Earnings: La-Z-Boy Incorporated (LZB)
Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning:
Investor optimism has squashed another downbeat catalyst
Trump: EU not offering fair trade deal, Japan being 'tough' too
Trump says he wants 'real end' to conflict, not just ceasefire
Anne Wojcicki's 23andMe bid may not end DNA data lawsuit
How a prolonged Israel-Iran conflict could speed up Fed rate cuts
US solar stocks slammed after Senate changes to tax bill
Trump says he will probably extend TikTok deadline again
SoftBank sells T-Mobile stake for $4.8 billion to fund AI push
Here are some top stocks trending on Yahoo Finance in premarket trading:
T-Mobile US, Inc. (TMUS) stock fell 4% in premarket trading on Tuesday, after SoftBank Group Corp. (SFTBF, SFTBY) managed to raise $4.8B via the sale of T-Mobile US Inc. shares. The move is set to help fund Softbank's plans for artificial intelligence.
Microsoft (MSFT) stock fell over 1% before the bell today following reports that the Big Tech's relationship with OpenAI has become "strained." Per The Wall Street Journal, OpenAI executives are weighing the option of whether to accuse Microsoft of anticompetitive behavior, according to people familiar with the matter.
Solar stocks dropped in premarket trading Tuesday after Senate Republicans released a bill that would end tax credits for wind and solar earlier that other sources. The news caused SunRun Inc. (RUN) stock to drop by 28% and SolarEdge Technologies Inc. (SEDG) by 21%.
US solar stocks have tumbled after a Senate panel released proposals for an early and full phase-out of solar and wind energy tax credits on Monday.
The plan to remove credits by 2028 are among the several changes put forward by a Republican-controlled panel to President Trump's "big beautiful" tax and spending bill.
Shares of Enphase Energy (ENPH), which makes solar inverters, dropped 17% before the bell.
Meanwhile, solar panel seller Sunrun (RUN) tumbled 26%, while its peer SolarEdge Technologies (SEDG) sank more than 20%. First Solar (FSLR) pulled back 11%.
Gold (GC=F) prices rose higher Monday night as the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict pushed risk-averse investors into safer positions, such as gold as a haven asset.
Bloomberg reports:
Read more here.
In the latest in a string of signs that market sentiment has recovered significantly from the heigh of April's tariff turmoil, Bank of America's June Global Fund Manager's Survey showed 66% of investors said they believe the global economy will achieve a "soft landing," in which inflation falls to the Fed's 2% target without an outright downturn in economic activity.
The 8-month high among respondents believing a soft landing is in sight, comes as recession probabilities have tumbled over the past month while consumers worst fears about a tariff-driven inflation spike have also subsided.
Bank of America Global Research chief investment strategist Michael Hartnett wrote the survey showed, "investor sentiment back to pre-Liberation Day 'Goldilocks bull' levels."
Yahoo Finance's Ines Ferré reports:
Read more here.
JetBlue's (JBLU) stock declined more than 3% on Tuesday after the company revealed plans to further reduce costs and scale back flights.
Yahoo Finance's Brooke DiPalma reports:
Read more here.
A prolonged conflict between Israel and Iran may do more than rattle energy markets. One argument on Wall Street is that it could push the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates sooner than expected.
"A sustained rise in oil prices could cause the Fed to strike a more dovish tone," Oxford Economics chief US economist Ryan Sweet wrote in a recent note to clients, arguing that an extended oil shock could dent demand and potentially spill over into an otherwise resilient labor market.
That's because, historically, sudden spikes in oil prices tend to cause only a temporary rise in inflation that the Fed usually overlooks. But with the economy already softening, a persistent surge could pose a bigger threat to growth and jobs than to inflation itself.
"The economy has slowed and is vulnerable to anything else going wrong, including a sudden and persistent increase in oil prices," Sweet said. "If the Fed views the hit to the economy and the labor market as greater than the temporary boost to inflation, the central bank could signal that it's open to cutting interest rates sooner."
On Tuesday, oil prices rallied, with international benchmark Brent (BZ=F) rising above $75 a barrel after President Trump called for Tehran residents to evacuate and rebuffed the idea of an Israel-Iran ceasefire.
That contrasted with optimism on Monday, when the Wall Street Journal reported that tensions between Iran and Israel had eased, sparking a rally in US equities and stabilizing crude oil prices following last week's biggest price surge in three years.
Sweet, whose baseline forecast is that the Fed will deliver its first rate cut in December, noted it may take weeks before markets gain a clearer sense of the direction of oil prices.
Read more here.
Solar stocks were pummeled in early afternoon trading after the Senate's version of President Trump's tax and spending bill showed that Republicans are united in eliminating tax credits for clean energy.
The Senate's changes to the bill, released on Monday, called for a total phaseout of solar and wind credits by 2028, prompting the sell-off in solar names.
Meanwhile, the revisions extended tax incentives for hydropower, nuclear, and geothermal energy until 2036, boosting shares of Sam Altman-backed nuclear energy startup Oklo (OKLO) and other energy names that are seen as winners.
Read more about what the Senate's budget blueprint means for business.
Yahoo Finance's Dan Howley and Alexis Keenan report:
Read more here.
US stocks slid on Tuesday as President Trump played down the prospect of a truce between Israel and Iran and retail sales came in below expectations.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) fell around 0.4%, while the benchmark S&P 500 (^GSPC) dipped roughly 0.3%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) also pulled back 0.3%.
Kraft Heinz (KHC) stock edged higher after the maker of Kool-Aid and Jell-O said it's eliminating synthetic dyes across the remaining 10% of its US portfolio that contains them.
Yahoo Finance's Brooke DiPalma reports that Kraft Heinz will replace artificial dyes with natural colors or reinvent items with new colors. The company will also refrain from launching new products that contain food additives.
This announcement comes amid growing scrutiny of food additives. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said he wants to remove artificial coloring from the food supply by the time he leaves office.
Read more here.
The US Department of Defense announced Monday that it awarded OpenAI (OPAI.PVT) a $200 million contract to "develop prototype frontier AI capabilities to address critical national security challenges in both warfighting and enterprise domains."
"This contract is one of the largest Department of Defense contracts given to a software provider when measured by annual contract value," William Blair analyst Louie DiPalma wrote in a note to clients Monday.
DiPalma said that the "contract announcement could signal increased competition from OpenAI going forward" for Palantir (PLTR) "if OpenAI moves into Palantir's ontology territory." Ontology refers to an operational layer in Palantir's platform.
DiPalma noted that Palantir paved the way for OpenAI and others.
"Palantir has pioneered software providers serving as prime contractors for Department of Defense programs," DiPalma wrote. "Traditionally, software providers served as subcontractors to systems integrators. Under the new administration, the Department of Defense is looking to contract directly with commercial software providers when possible."
Palantir rose less than 1% on Tuesday.
In December, Palantir shares dropped as much as 5% when defense tech firm Anduril (ANIN.PVT) announced a partnership with OpenAI to "develop and responsibly deploy advanced artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for national security missions."
Retail sales fell in May, dragged down by declines in gas and auto purchases during the second month that a wide array of President Trump's tariffs were in effect.
Headline retail sales declined 0.9% in May, surpassing economists' expectations for a 0.6% decline month on month. By comparison, sales decreased 0.1% in April, according to revised Census Bureau data. A 2% decline in gasoline sales, a 3.5% slide in auto purchases, and a 2.7% decline in building materials drove the May headline number lower.
There was some positive news in the release: The control group in Thursday's release, which excludes several volatile categories and factors into the gross domestic product (GDP) reading for the quarter, rose 0.4%. That compares with a 0.1% decrease seen in April. Economists expected a 0.3% increase.
May sales, excluding auto and gas, declined 0.1%. Economists had expected a 0.3% rise. In April, sales excluding auto and gas rose 0.1%.
Reddit stock (RDDT) rose roughly 5% in premarket trading on Tuesday following the social media platform's release of new AI ad tools at the Cannes Lions festival for marketers on its platform.
Meanwhile, broader S&P 500 futures (ES=F) fell by 0.3%.
The gain follows Reddit's 6.8% jump Monday, after media reports spotlighted a recent analysis from data analytics firm Semrush, showing that Reddit is the second most cited website in Google AI overviews.
'Reddit may also perform well because Google has a partnership with Reddit and uses Reddit data to train its systems,' Semrush analyst Rachel Handley wrote in the June 9 analysis. Google announced its $60 million deal with Reddit last February.
Despite Reddit stock's climb this week, shares are far below their high of above $230 in February. The stock traded at around $131 before the market open Tuesday.
Yahoo Finance's Hamza Shaban writes in today's Morning Brief newsletter:
Read more here.
A standout record-setting rally in gold (GC=F) is about to peter out, Citigroup strategists said as they forecast a slide back below $3,000 an ounce for the precious metal in coming quarters.
Bloomberg reports:
Read more here.
Economic data: Retail sales (May); Industrial production (May); NAHB housing market index (June); Import price index (May)
Earnings: La-Z-Boy Incorporated (LZB)
Here are some of the biggest stories you may have missed overnight and early this morning:
Investor optimism has squashed another downbeat catalyst
Trump: EU not offering fair trade deal, Japan being 'tough' too
Trump says he wants 'real end' to conflict, not just ceasefire
Anne Wojcicki's 23andMe bid may not end DNA data lawsuit
How a prolonged Israel-Iran conflict could speed up Fed rate cuts
US solar stocks slammed after Senate changes to tax bill
Trump says he will probably extend TikTok deadline again
SoftBank sells T-Mobile stake for $4.8 billion to fund AI push
Here are some top stocks trending on Yahoo Finance in premarket trading:
T-Mobile US, Inc. (TMUS) stock fell 4% in premarket trading on Tuesday, after SoftBank Group Corp. (SFTBF, SFTBY) managed to raise $4.8B via the sale of T-Mobile US Inc. shares. The move is set to help fund Softbank's plans for artificial intelligence.
Microsoft (MSFT) stock fell over 1% before the bell today following reports that the Big Tech's relationship with OpenAI has become "strained." Per The Wall Street Journal, OpenAI executives are weighing the option of whether to accuse Microsoft of anticompetitive behavior, according to people familiar with the matter.
Solar stocks dropped in premarket trading Tuesday after Senate Republicans released a bill that would end tax credits for wind and solar earlier that other sources. The news caused SunRun Inc. (RUN) stock to drop by 28% and SolarEdge Technologies Inc. (SEDG) by 21%.
US solar stocks have tumbled after a Senate panel released proposals for an early and full phase-out of solar and wind energy tax credits on Monday.
The plan to remove credits by 2028 are among the several changes put forward by a Republican-controlled panel to President Trump's "big beautiful" tax and spending bill.
Shares of Enphase Energy (ENPH), which makes solar inverters, dropped 17% before the bell.
Meanwhile, solar panel seller Sunrun (RUN) tumbled 26%, while its peer SolarEdge Technologies (SEDG) sank more than 20%. First Solar (FSLR) pulled back 11%.
Gold (GC=F) prices rose higher Monday night as the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict pushed risk-averse investors into safer positions, such as gold as a haven asset.
Bloomberg reports:
Read more here.
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CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Analysis: Trump is flirting with strikes in Iran. That could be a tough sell at home.
For years now, Americans have been trending in a more isolationist, anti-war direction. Particularly on the right, the ascendant view is that the world's problems are not necessarily ours. Iran could be about to test that. President Donald Trump has in recent hours employed increasingly bold rhetoric about involving the United States in Israel's attacks on Iran. On Tuesday afternoon, he wrote on Truth Social that 'we now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran.' He added that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is an 'easy target,' and said, 'We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.' He called for Iran's 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.' These comments came as CNN reported he's indeed quickly warming to using the US military to strike Iranian nuclear facilities. Trump has saber-rattled for effect before, so it's possible this is him employing the 'madman theory' of foreign policy again. But it's also evident that we're closer to a major new military confrontation than we've been in two decades. So how might Americans view it if Trump did involve the US military offensively? It's complicated. Americans have in recent years expressed plenty of worry about Iran and even support for hypothetical military strikes. But there is reason to believe military action today could be a bridge too far – for the same reasons Americans have been drifting away from foreign interventions. Much of the polling here is dated, and views are of course subject to change based on fresh circumstances. A 2019 Fox News poll is the most recent high-quality survey to ask directly about a situation like the one Trump is contemplating. And it found a significant level of support for using action to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. American voters favored that 53% to 30% – a 23-point margin. The question from there is whether Americans would view that as indeed the purpose here. This is how Trump has billed potential strikes, saying Iran is on the verge of a nuclear weapon. But as recently as March of this year, his own director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, testified quite the opposite. She said that the intel community had assessed that 'Iran is not building a nuclear weapon, and Supreme Leader [Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003.' Trump disputed Gabbard's account on Tuesday, but it's not difficult to see her words – and US intelligence assessments about the lack of imminence of an Iranian nuclear weapon – becoming a problem. That's particularly because America's last major military foray, into neighboring Iraq, became so unpopular due how the Bush administration exaggerated the threat it posed. Americans have appeared open to military action in theory. The question from there is how immediate they view that threat as being. Some surveys indicate Americans do tend to view Iran as a major threat – and on a bipartisan basis: The same Fox poll showed 57% of Democrats and 65% of Republicans called Iran a 'real national security threat.' A 2023 Fox poll showed more than 6 in 10 Democrats and about 8 in 10 Republicans were at least 'very' concerned about Iran getting a nuke. And Gallup polling last year showed 93% of Republicans and 70% of Democrats described Iran developing nuclear weapons as a 'critical threat' to the vital interests of the United States. But other surveys suggest that perceived problem might not rank particularly high. Pew Research Center polling last year showed many more Americans felt China (64%) and Russia (59%) were major military threats than Iran (42%). Pew data last year also found only 37% of Americans said limiting Iran's power and influence should be a 'top priority.' It ranked lower than limiting Russia and China's power and about the same as North Korea's – while also falling below limiting climate change. And back in 2020, just 14% of Americans thought Iran was such a threat that it required immediate military action, according to a CBS News poll conducted by SSRS. A huge majority felt it was a threat that could be contained (64%), while 17% said it wasn't a threat. All of these numbers could change if Trump goes down the path toward the US hitting Iran. He has shown an ability to get Republicans, in particular, to buy into pretty much whatever he says. (Though some prominent conservative voices like Tucker Carlson have strongly rejected the idea of strikes, meaning there could even be some resistance there). Anyway, it's likely we'd see these numbers polarize. But US intelligence assessments had concluded that not only was Iran not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon — in contrast to Israeli warnings — but that it was also up to three years from being able to produce and deliver one to a target, CNN reported Tuesday. Trump's history with Iran also looms here. In 2020, he launched a controversial strike that killed a top Iranian commander, Qasem Soleimani. And polling often showed people leaned in favor of the strike. But polling also showed Americans said by double digits that the strike made us less safe domestically. And a CNN poll at the time showed Americans disapproved of Trump's handling of the situation with Iran also by double digits, 53-42%. All of which indicates Americans are concerned about blowback and don't have a particularly high degree of faith in Trump's Iran policies. The sum total of the data suggest that, while Americans are concerned about the prospect of Iran getting a nuclear weapon, they don't necessarily view it as an immediate problem necessitating the use of the US military. If someone asks you if you are worried about a nuclear foreign country, of course that sounds scary. You might even sign off on a hypothetical in which US military might be needed to combat that threat you fear. But it doesn't mean you think that's imminent enough to warrant putting US servicemembers in harm's way and setting off a major Middle Eastern war, today. And there's plenty of reason to believe Trump could – or at least should – approach this idea cautiously.


CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
GOP hawks clash with MAGA isolationists as Trump contemplates next steps in Iran
(CNN) — As President Donald Trump prepared to leave the G7 summit a day early amid an escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, he dialed up his go-to national security confidant Sen. Lindsey Graham — who's also one of the GOP's most vocal war hawks. In that phone call, Graham said he personally urged Trump to go 'all in' to end any hope Iran had of attaining a nuclear weapon, using the considerable might of the US military if necessary. After months of talks with Iran ahead of Israel's strikes last week, Graham now warned Trump: The window for diplomacy has passed. 'I said, 'Mr. President, this is a historic moment. Four presidents have promised that they won't get a nuclear weapon on your watch. You can fulfill that promise,' Graham said, recalling his conversation with Trump. The call reflects how Trump, who has embraced a more isolationist approach than many of his GOP predecessors, is navigating competing forces within his own party as he contemplates whether to order the US military to strike Iranian nuclear sites. On one side: traditional Republicans like Graham who are eager to see the US flex its military muscle. On the other, key MAGA allies like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has forcefully argued this week that anyone 'slobbering' for the US to intervene in Iran is not in line with Trump's politics. Greene told CNN she has traded texts with the president recently, though she would not divulge their conversation. 'We have all been very vocal for days now urging, 'Let's be America first. Let's stay out,'' Greene told CNN on Tuesday of the pressure campaign, which she said has included more isolationist Republicans like Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon and Matt Gaetz. The lobbying has played out publicly and privately, with Republicans taking aim at one another as they have jockeyed for Trump's attention. In public appearances since his phone call with Trump, Graham has pushed a specific plan for Trump to use the US military to attack a secretive Iranian nuclear site, which is so deep underground that the only way to destroy it would be using a massive bomb that only America possesses. That kind of move would also require a US bomber to enter Iranian airspace — a major escalation of the American role in the conflict. Two US officials told CNN Tuesday Trump was increasingly receptive to that approach, and less interested in pursuing a diplomatic solution. 'The president, he's his own man. Everyone who knows Donald Trump knows he makes up his own mind. But I think it's important to discuss. We have to let him know what we think,' Greene told CNN, adding that she's been getting a flood of calls to her office supporting her position. 'Many Americans just do not want to be involved. That's why I spoke up and have been vocal about it.' As the president huddled in the Situation Room with his top advisers to weigh his options on Tuesday, a small group of House and Senate lawmakers — including at least one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie — have been privately mobilizing one possible way to check Trump's power in Congress. In the last 24 hours, two lawmakers have introduced War Powers Resolutions that would formally limit Trump's power to deploy the military without Congress' specific consent. Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine is leading the push in the Senate, with Massie taking lead on the House measure. Such an effort could face tall odds in the GOP-controlled chambers of Congress, particularly if a vote comes before more Trump action in the Middle East. But both measures in the House and Senate are expected to be 'privileged,' which means leaders will be forced to bring it to the floor. That could be a major headache for both parties, with Democratic progressives and GOP ultraconservatives known to veer from their own party orthodoxy on war powers matters. Debate on the Senate measure is expected to come to a head in the coming days, with a vote as soon as next Wednesday, Kaine told CNN. It could have robust Democratic support. 'I believe Congress and the Senate, Senate Democrats, if necessary, will not hesitate to exercise our authority,' Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on whether he would support the measure. In the House, the timeline for a vote is less clear. Massie formally introduced the measure on Tuesday but privately has not yet indicated when he might force it to the floor, as lawmakers of both parties closely watch Trump's next steps, according to multiple people familiar with the discussions. In the House, GOP leaders have moved to prevent contentious measures from coming to the floor before — but it's not clear the votes would be there to do that this time, according to one person familiar with the discussions. Lawmakers' calculus could also be upended by what Trump does in the coming days, sources in both parties told CNN. That includes whether Trump escalates the conflict by using U.S. military assets to strike Iranian nuclear facilities like the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, the deep underground facility that is seen as key to Iran's desires to constructing a unclear weapon. 'If that happens, then it's a game changing calculation,' one congressional source told CNN. Greene and Massie are not the only Hill Republicans vocally opposed to Trump increasing US involvement in the conflict. Sen. Josh Hawley, another critic of intervening in foreign wars, spoke to Trump about this topic, including others, in a recent call. He said Trump 'wisely' did not talk about offensive action with Iran in their conversation. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky noted that Trump has in the past held back, and said he hoped he would do so again. 'I think the lingering chance for diplomacy comes from restraint. The President has shown restraint in the past,' Paul said. 'The president's instincts are good, and I'm hoping the President will not get involved with the war. I think, if the United States actively bombs Tehran, the possibility of negotiation goes out the window.' Trump has sparred with both Massie and Paul over his domestic agenda, and multiple Republicans told CNN it appears that the White House is listening more to war hawks like Graham than his isolationist allies. Some of those Republicans pointed to Trump's dig at conservative commentator Tucker Carlson earlier this week, after Carlson accused the president of being 'complicit in an act of war' in Israel's strikes on Iran. Carlson also called on the US to decouple itself from Israel altogether — not providing any funding or weapons to assist its long-time ally. 'I don't know what Tucker Carlson is saying. Let him go get a television network and say it so that people listen,' the president told reporters in response. Hill Republicans took notice of the flap. Sen. Mitch McConnell, the veteran Kentucky Republican and leading defense hawk, singled out both Carlson and Bannon to CNN on Monday. 'I think what's happening here is some of the isolationist movement led by Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon are distressed that we may be helping the Israelis defeat the Iranians — it's the same kind of complaint they had about helping Ukraine,' McConnell said in rare public remarks to reporters since leaving his leadership post. 'I would say it's been kind of a bad week for the isolationists.' Asked if he thinks the GOP's isolationist wing has too much sway with President Donald Trump, McConnell said: 'I think that remains to be seen. The president still has the opportunity do the right thing. I think he will. … I think we ought to help the Israelis win and help the Ukrainians win. It's in our interest to do that.'


Time Magazine
an hour ago
- Time Magazine
What to Know About the Trump Administration's Reversal on ICE Raids Guidance
U.S. immigration officials will continue conducting immigration raids at farms, hotels, and restaurants, marking an apparently rapid reversal of guidance issued last week to exempt those worksites from the Trump Administration's mass deportations. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials told staff in a call on Monday that agents must conduct raids at farms, hotels, and restaurants, two people with knowledge of the call told The Washington Post. Multiple news outlets, including CNN and Reuters, have since confirmed the news. 'There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine ICE's efforts,' Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, told the Post. 'Worksite enforcement remains a cornerstone of our efforts to safeguard public safety, national security and economic stability.' Trump's pledge to 'protect our Farmers' President Donald Trump has launched a mass-deportation operation since he took office for a second time in January, sparking outrage from Democratic lawmakers and prompting thousands of demonstrators to take to the streets to protest ICE raids targeting undocumented immigrants. Trump has recently faced backlash from agriculture and hospitality executives over his hardline immigration agenda, the Post reported. On Thursday, he posted on Truth Social that 'changes are coming.' 'Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace,' Trump said in his post. 'In many cases the Criminals allowed into our Country by the VERY Stupid Biden Open Borders Policy are applying for those jobs. This is not good. We must protect our Farmers, but get the CRIMINALS OUT OF THE USA. Changes are coming!' What changed—or didn't Despite the public pledge, a White House official told the Post at the time that the White House hadn't proposed any real policy changes. But three U.S. officials familiar with the situation told The New York Times that the Administration had instructed ICE officials to mostly halt raids and arrests at those worksites. 'Effective today, please hold on all work site enforcement investigations/operations on agriculture (including aquaculture and meat packing plants), restaurants and operating hotels,' Tatum King, a senior ICE official, said in an email that was sent out as guidance to regional leaders of the branch of ICE that typically works on criminal investigations, as reported by the Times. Monday's reversal of that guidance comes after Trump posted on Truth Social over the weekend that he wants to 'expand efforts to detain and deport illegal Aliens in America's largest cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside.'