The US Is Making the World a More Dangerous Place
A decade ago, in the middle of the so-called Forever Wars, I would dread coming into my office in the morning, fearing bad news from the International Security Force Afghanistan. As military commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, I was in charge of more than 150,000 US and international troops in daily combat. We had nearly 2,000 young men and women killed in action during my four years there, and the cause — again and again – was improvised explosive devices. The term 'IED' continues to haunt my dreams.
As I have watched the first months of President Donald Trump's administration interact with an often incredulous world — it was practically a cause for celebration that he left this week's G-7 meeting (early) without causing a major diplomatic incident — that deadly acronym has come back to me. The emerging Trump Doctrine can accurately be described by a very different version of the letters IED.
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Fox News
18 minutes ago
- Fox News
DAVID MARCUS: Trump's base trusts him to play strong hand in Iran
Of all the ways to try to influence President Donald Trump, the absolute worst is to threaten him. And yet, there is a segment of MAGA world podcasters and influencers insisting that if the commander-in-chief takes direct action against Iran, it will divide and crush Trump's base. Don't count on it. The argument from podcast land is that Trump ran on a promise of no new wars and that any direct American action against Iran would betray that promise and plunge America into another forever war in the Middle East. Let's slow down a bit. In his first term, Trump killed Quasim Soliemani, the top Iranian general, to howls from the left, and some of these same right-wing podcasters, that it would start World War III. It didn't. They were wrong, Trump was right. Here we are again, the president faced with a choice. He can use U.S. bunker bombs to deal the lethal blow to Iran's nuclear program, or he can take the Joe Biden route, and sheepishly back off his demand for unconditional surrender, and let Iran continue its march to nukes. Depending on the polling, about 80% of Republicans think that a nuclear Iran poses a critical threat to the United States. And while voters are more split on direct U.S. action, Trump is laser-focused on stopping Tehran's bomb. Trump excels at solving problems everyone else says are impossible. Just look at the southern border, sealed tight as a Ziploc bag, even though everyone swore only Congress could do that. Likewise, in Iran, Trump doesn't want to hear a rehashing of the 8 million reasons why nobody can stop their nuclear program. He wants to hear how to stop it, and if those urging restraint can't tell him how, he's going to listen to those who can. This goes back to the farcical threat that Trump is going to lose his base if he bombs Iran, that the guy in an Ohio diner is going to side with the podcasters over the president he voted for. How did that work out for Elon Musk? The analogy is an apt one, because Musk's threats and criticisms over the Big Beautiful Bill potentially raising the debt had real resonance among GOP voters, and yet, they chose Trump over a chastened richest man in the world. They support Trump's overarching economic goals more than they dislike the debt. Same thing in Iran. Is there skepticism about using direct American military might? Of course. This ain't a pickup game of shirts and skins. But do they trust Trump overall to stop Iran from getting nukes? Absolutely. Talk of regime change and threats to kill Iran's supreme leader understandably make Americans jittery 25 years after the launch of the disastrous war in Iraq, but Trump isn't talking about invading with boots on the ground, and his base knows this. What the podcasters don't seem to understand is that the only way to influence Trump is to influence his voters. He doesn't care how many followers an influencer has on social media, half of which could be bots from foreign information operations, anyway. Actually, one has to wonder if our geo-political foes, whose bot farms seek to manipulate social media platforms in America and sow discord, are disappointed by their return on investment. On X, it seems like to bomb or not to bomb is a divide ripping our country apart. In real life, it simply isn't. The final thing that Trump understands and that his base trusts, is that the United States was losing the international status quo under his predecessors, on global trade, on the border, on China policy, and yes, in the Middle East. In all of these cases, he is determined to reverse that trend. There is nothing wrong or unpatriotic about arguing that direct U.S. action against Iran would be a mistake, and Trump no doubt welcomes lively debate. But as Vice President JD Vance, no chickenhawk, pointed out Tuesday, this is Trump's decision to make. Trump promised that Iran would never obtain a nuke, and he has a habit of keeping his campaign promises, even when taking slings and arrows from noisy voices on his own side. There isn't a podcast in the world that can keep Trump from fulfilling this promise as he sees fit, and his base, the real power behind the administration, expects nothing less.
CNN
23 minutes ago
- CNN
Will Trump order US strike on Iran?
Will Trump order US strike on Iran? President Donald Trump declined to say whether he has decided on US military intervention in Iran. The US has been providing defensive support to Israel since the back-and-forth missile attacks began last week. 00:22 - Source: CNN Vertical Top News 13 videos Will Trump order US strike on Iran? President Donald Trump declined to say whether he has decided on US military intervention in Iran. The US has been providing defensive support to Israel since the back-and-forth missile attacks began last week. 00:22 - Source: CNN Anne Burrell dead at 55 Anne Burrell, a chef and television personality whose joyful demeanor made her a beloved fixture on the Food Network, has died, according to the network. She was 55. 00:38 - Source: CNN NYC mayoral candidate arrested at immigration court New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Brad Lander was released from federal custody Tuesday afternoon, hours after he was arrested by officers at an immigration court in Manhattan when he tried to escort a migrant whom officers were attempting to arrest. 01:48 - Source: CNN Trump's new phone looks a lot like one from China The Trump Organization says its upcoming T1 smartphone will be 'proudly designed and built in the United States.' But experts tell CNN they're skeptical that goal can be achieved-- and say the T1's specifications are strikingly similar to a Chinese-made phone already on the market. 01:07 - Source: CNN This is how the US could get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports on how the US could get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran while the countries continue trading strikes for a sixth day, with civilians in flashpoint areas facing waves of attacks. 02:14 - Source: CNN Trump's sons announce mobile phone company Trump Mobile, a wireless service created by the Trump Organization, aims to rival US carrier companies like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. The Trump Organization, run by President Donald Trump's eldest sons Eric and Donald Jr., announced the business and launched a new gold smartphone for pre-order. 01:09 - Source: CNN What Iranian residents are texting to CNN as strikes hit As Israeli strikes zeroed in on Iran's capital city of Tehran, CNN's Clarissa Ward reports from Tel Aviv some of the messages she's received from residents in Iran offering a glimpse into the daily anxieties of living in a country faced with an ever-escalating conflict in the sky. 01:33 - Source: CNN Minnesota suspect went to 4 state lawmaker homes night of shootings The suspect in the killing of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband in addition to the shooting of another lawmaker and his wife also visited two more politicians' homes, according to authorities. 02:08 - Source: CNN Trump slams G7 for kicking out Russia President Donald Trump kicked off his visit to the G7 summit in Canada by criticizing nations for kicking out Russia eleven years ago. 00:36 - Source: CNN Iranian state television says it was attacked by Israel The studio complex of Iran's state news channel IRINN was struck by Israel on Monday, according to the country's state news agency. A loud explosion was heard while an anchor was presenting live on air, according to a live feed. 00:19 - Source: CNN The biggest moments from Karen Read murder trial closing arguments The jury is deliberating the fate of Karen Read in the murder trial of her Boston Police Officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe. CNN's Jean Casarez shares the biggest moments from closing arguments of the trial. 02:18 - Source: CNN Juror dismissed in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' criminal trial The judge in the Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial has dismissed juror No. 6 over the juror's inconsistent disclosures about where he lives and with whom. Juror No. 6 will be replaced by the first alternate juror. 01:44 - Source: CNN Scene outside assassinated state representative's home CNN's Whitney Wild is outside the home of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman, who was shot and killed in a "politically motivated assassination" along with her husband early Saturday morning. Police are still searching for the suspect. 00:41 - Source: CNN
CNN
25 minutes ago
- CNN
Iconic US Steel now 100% owned by Japan's Nippon Steel, despite past Trump opposition
Nippon Steel has finalized its deal to buy 100% of US Steel, the iconic steelmaker that was once the world's most valuable company and a cornerstone of American industrial might. The companies announced Wednesday that the two had completed the partnership. Under the terms of the deal first announced in December 2023, Nippon will buy US steel for $55 per share, or $14.1 billion. The company will also retain its name and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania headquarters. But while Nippon is buying the entirety of US Steel, under the final deal the US government will gain a say in many key decisions on how the company is run. That includes giving President Donald Trump veto power over any decision to idle plants, reduce production or staffing levels. Despite the terms disclosed Tuesday, the acquisition comes despite Trump's past opposition the deal, saying he would only allow it because it was an 'investment' by Nippon, not an outright purchase. 'It's an investment, and it'll be a partial ownership (by Nippon),' Trump said last month, days after announcing he would approve the deal. 'It will be controlled by the United States, otherwise I wouldn't make the deal.' The deal was previously blocked by President Joe Biden in his final weeks in office, citing national security grounds, and it was opposed by Trump when he was on the campaign trail. But once Trump took office, he said Nippon improved the deal and promised additional investment totaling $14 billion in the company's facilities, although only $11 billion in investment through 2028 is in the agreement Nippon and US Steel signed with the US government. At a rally at US Steel facility outside of Pittsburgh a week after saying he would allow the deal, Trump told a crowd of cheering steelworkers that it would be a good one for them. 'They kept asking me over and over, and I kept rejecting it, no way, no way, no way,' he said. 'The deal got better and better and better for the workers,' Trump said. 'I'm going to be watching over it. It's going to be great.' Trump went on to say that US would keep its blast furnaces operating at full capacity for at least the next decade, and there would be 'no layoffs and no outsourcing whatsoever.' But while some local union officials were at the rally and praised the deal, the United Steelworkers union continued to oppose it. In a statement Sunday it questioned the promises and protections that the deal provides, even with Trump and future presidents having veto power over some moves. 'Perhaps the historic 'USS' logo will remain, but it seems it will be no more than a smoke screen to allow a wholly-owned privately held subsidiary of a Japanese corporation to be called 'American.'' US Steel was once a symbol of American industrial dominance. It was the most valuable company in the world and the first to be worth $1 billion, soon after its creation in 1901. It was also crucial to the US economy throughout much of the 20th century providing the steel needed to build cars, appliances, bridges and skyscrapers, as well as weapons that helped win War War II. But it has suffered through decades of decline since its post-World War II height. It is no longer even the largest US steelmaker, and a relatively minor employer, with 14,000 US employees — 11,000 of whom are members of the USW. This is story has been updated with additional reporting and context.
