Anti-vax RFK could derail Trump
A word of warning to Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.: Restoring Americans' trust in the feds' public health decisions means hiring truly fair-minded, science-driven folks — not anti-vax crackpots.
RFK Jr. last week canned all 17 members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), saying: 'A clean sweep is necessary to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science.' NY Post assistant editorial page editor Brooke Rogers shares this story.
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Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump's Iran War Talk Testing His Ties With MAGA Loyalists
(Bloomberg) -- Donald Trump's hints that he may dispatch the US military to help Israel destroy Iran's nuclear program has spurred a revolt from his typically faithful America First base, further dividing a party already struggling to unite around the president's second-term agenda. Security Concerns Hit Some of the World's 'Most Livable Cities' JFK AirTrain Cuts Fares 50% This Summer to Lure Riders Off Roads How E-Scooters Conquered (Most of) Europe Taser-Maker Axon Triggers a NIMBY Backlash in its Hometown Trump continues to be non-committal on what he'll ultimately decide, but his rhetoric toward Iran has grown more belligerent in the six days since Israel launched its offensive — pushing the US closer to involvement in a foreign war. That's firmly at odds with a central tenet of Trump's own 'Make America Great Again' movement, fashioned during his political ascent amid voter frustration with decades of US military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. Trump sharpened his anti-war stance during the 2024 election as he hit President Joe Biden over the haphazard US withdrawal from Afghanistan and pledged to avoid conflicts overseas. As recently as last month — and speaking in the Middle East, where he's currently building up US forces for potential engagement — Trump lambasted the US 'neocons' for the wars they fought in the region. He said he wants the Mideast to be a place 'where people of different nations, religions and creeds are building cities together, not bombing each other out of existence.' Now, as Trump agitates on Iran, the intra-MAGA fault lines are deepening. Trump and conservative media personality Tucker Carlson have traded barbs over the 'America First' doctrine as the former Fox News host calls for the US to steer clear of the Israel-Iran conflict. Laura Loomer, a right-wing social media influencer and staunch Trump supporter, jumped into the fray in Trump's defense. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who has long pushed for a US attack on Iran, said that he's spoken to Trump and urged him to act. Graham played down the GOP divide, saying 90% of Republicans support Trump helping Israel and most Americans believe stopping Iran's nuclear ambitions is 'absolutely essential,' even if it involves the use of force. Graham's numbers, however, may be overly optimistic. Even as half of Americans view Iran as an enemy of the US, some 60% say that the US shouldn't get involved militarily in the Israeli war, according to a YouGov poll conducted between June 13 and June 16. That includes 53% of of Republicans, the poll showed. In a sign of how Trump is in some ways talking himself into the war — or at least rationalizing the option to do so — he's increasingly pointing to his long-held position that Iran shouldn't have a nuclear weapon. While Trump himself during his first term pulled out of a global agreement aimed at ensuring that Iran can't get atomic bombs, he's cast the prospect that it might do so as an existential threat to the US and its allies alike. Vice President JD Vance, a Marine Corps veteran who's also advocated for a more isolationist US, has pointed to Trump's consistency on the topic as he seeks to defend his boss against the base. The president acknowledged the split among Republicans in response to reporters' questions Wednesday morning on the White House lawn. 'So I may have some people that are a little bit unhappy now, but I have some people that are very happy,' Trump said. 'And I have people outside of the base who can't believe that this is happening, they're so happy.' Later, Trump told reporters that Carlson had called him. The president said that the commentator wanted to apologize for his language and said he believed Carlson on some level accepted the argument that Iran should not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. He also dismissed the notion the flap could divide his base. 'My supporters are for me. My supporters are America first,' Trump said. Steve Bannon, a longtime Trump ally and early disciple of Trump's populist doctrine, said there's no urgency for the US to join Israel's campaign as it already succeeded in gaining control of Iranian airspace. He said that American involvement should be determined by US intelligence and not Israel's, and he stressed several times that this is Israel's fight to finish. But even as Trump's base bristles at the notion of the president taking the US into a war, Bannon said he'll ultimately retain support. 'The MAGA movement, the Marjorie Taylor Greene's, Matt Gaetz, we will fight it up until the end to make sure he's got the full information. But if he has more intelligence and makes that case to the American people, the MAGA movement will support President Trump,' Bannon said. Tumult in the Middle East has driven oil prices higher. Under the most extreme scenario, should the US join Israel in the strikes and the Strait of Hormuz is shut, crude could surge past $130 a barrel, weigh on the global economy and drive up consumer prices, according to a Bloomberg Economics analysis. The debate between Trump allies calling for US involvement in the conflict and those urging him to steer clear was encapsulated in a recorded exchange between Carlson and Ted Cruz for Carlson's show. Carlson stumped Cruz on a question about Iran's population, saying that it's an important metric to know for anyone agitating for war with a country. Cruz, who spoke to Trump about Iran over the weekend, on Wednesday told reporters he doesn't envision US troops on the ground in Iran, but suggested a limited bombing strike to take out a nuclear weapons facility could be on the table for Trump. 'And if he does so, it will make Americans substantially safer,' Cruz said. The political ramifications will play out in Congress, either as part of the ongoing push-and-pull over executive branch powers or with the looming 2026 midterm election cycle. Only Congress has the constitutional authority to authorize war, but lawmakers have ceded that power to the president for more than two decades. The last authorization for use of military force approved by Congress was in 2002 for the Iraq war, and that came back to bite lawmakers politically. Senator Tim Kaine, a Democrat, has introduced legislation that would force a vote on any US war with Iran. He was joined in the House by Republican Thomas Massie, who has already publicly sparred with Trump over the president's legislative agenda. Senate Majority Leader John Thune acknowledged the ideological split within his party and defended Trump's war powers, signaling he doesn't intend to take up Kaine's bill anytime soon. 'We have people in our party, as you know, that have different views about America's role in the world,' Thune said. 'But I think the president is well within his authority, understands what's at stake in insuring Iran never has a nuclear weapon, and will do everything he can to protect America and American interests.' (Updates to include Trump remarks on Carlson in paragraphs 13-14. A previous version of this story corrected spelling of Marjorie Taylor Greene's name and that the Cruz-Carlson exchange took place on Carlson's platform.) 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Miami Herald
22 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Will Israel-Iran war make US safer — or less safe — in long term? What poll says
Few Americans believe the Israel-Iran war will ultimately be good for U.S. and global security, according to new polling. In the latest YouGov survey, respondents were asked whether 'recent attacks by Israel and Iran on each other will make' the U.S., Israel, the Middle East and the world safer or less safe 'in the long run.' On all four counts, pluralities or majorities of respondents said they think the recent conflict will reduce safety, rather than bolster it. The survey comes after Israel launched a preemptive strike on Iran on June 13, which Israeli officials justified by saying Iran's nuclear program posed an imminent threat. Iran — which denies pursuing nuclear weapons — responded by carrying out its own missile strikes on Israel. Following this, President Donald Trump, who said he had advance knowledge of the attack, suggested he may ramp up American involvement by instructing the U.S. military to strike nuclear sites in Iran. 'I may do it, I may not do it,' Trump told reporters on June 18, according to The Hill. 'I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do.' In the poll — which sampled 3,471 U.S. adults on June 17 — just 14% of respondents said the Israel-Iran conflict will make the U.S. more safe in the future, while 37% said it will make the country less safe. When asked about Israel, responses were similar. Just 19% said the recent attacks will make the Middle Eastern nation safer, while 40% said they will reduce safety. When it came to the broader region and the world, Americans were even more pessimistic. A slim majority, 51%, said they believe the conflict will reduce safety in the Middle East, while 15% said it will bolster safety. And, on the global scale, 50% said the fighting will reduce safety, while 15% said it will increase it. Republicans were significantly more likely than Democrats to believe the Israel-Iran conflict would shore up safety in the long term, according to the poll, which has a margin of error of 2.1 percentage points. For example, 27% of GOP respondents said the war will ultimately make the U.S. safer, while 4% of Democrats and 13% of independents said the same. And 28% of Republicans said it will make the world safer, compared to 5% of Democrats and 14% of independents.
The Hill
23 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump gives Iran ‘ultimate ultimatum' as US mulls strikes
Evening Report is The Hill's p.m. newsletter. Subscribe here or using the box below: Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here PRESIDENT TRUMP said Wednesday he's given Iran the 'ultimate ultimatum,' as he publicly weighs whether to wade into the war between Israel and Iran. 'I have ideas as to what to do,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. 'I like to make a final decision one second before it's due.' The president will hold a second meeting in the Situation Room late Wednesday with senior military and Cabinet officials. Trump, who has talked about how he likes to maintain an element of mystery around his intentions as a negotiating tactic, said U.S. involvement in the war is very much on the table. 'I may do it, I may not do it,' Trump said earlier in the day. 'I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do. I can tell you this, that Iran's got a lot of trouble. And they want to negotiate. And I say why didn't you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction.' The president was asked what he meant by calling for Iran's 'unconditional surrender.' 'You know what it means,' Trump responded. 'That means I've had it … No more.' 'For 40 years they've been saying 'Death to America, Death to Israel'… they were bullies, they were school yard bullies, and now they're not bullies anymore,' he added. 'But we'll see what happens, right?' Trump's remarks come on the sixth day of conflict in the Middle East, as Israel makes headway in its efforts to cripple Iran's nuclear program. Israel pummeled Tehran with missile strikes early Wednesday morning. Israel's defense minister said they'd destroyed Iran's Internal Security Headquarters. Israeli officials said they'd likely achieve the bulk of their military objectives within a week or two, according to the Times of Israel. Trump echoed that timeline. 'The next week is going to be very big, maybe less than a week, maybe less,' he said. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has lost many of his top military officials and scientists, and the U.S. says it knows where Khamenei is hiding. Still, Iran is said to be preparing missiles for a counterattack, and The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Israel is running low on missile interceptors. The U.S. Embassy in Israel is working to evacuate Americans there. Khamenei rejected calls for surrender, and warned that U.S. involvement in the war would result in 'irreparable damage to them.' 'We will never surrender in response to the attacks of anyone,' he said in a post on X. Iran's top allies, Russia and China, have largely remained on the sidelines so far. However, Russia's Foreign Ministry weighed in Tuesday, calling on Israel to stop targeting Tehran's nuclear sites because it could lead to global 'nuclear catastrophe.' U.S. INVOLVEMENT DIVIDES REPUBLICANS The big question hanging over Washington is how far Trump will go, if the U.S. does get involved. The range of options includes everything from using bunker buster bombs to destroy Iran's Fordow nuclear site, to regime change. The Hill's Ellen Mitchell writes: 'The U.S. military is positioning itself to potentially join Israel's assault on Iran, as President Trump weighs direct action against Tehran to deal a permanent blow to its nuclear program.' There are myriad political forces tugging at Trump. Israel is hopeful the U.S. joins the bombardment, with former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant telling CNN that Trump has 'the option to change the Middle East and influence the world. Traditional Republicans are on board with targeted strikes. 'You're seeing Israel now with overwhelming amounts of force,' Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) told NewsNation's 'On Balance' host Leland Vittert. 'They know they've got the United States standing side by side with Israel in this very important moment.' 'Because once this regime topples, once they've destroyed Iran's nuclear capabilities, this is a reset for the Middle East and a reset for the world,' Daines added. Nikki Haley, Trump's former ambassador to the United Nations, said the U.S. 'should not engage in regime change in Iran.' 'Our focus should only be on our national security,' she posted on X. 'The Iranian regime has threatened the US with nuclear production for years. We should support Israel in eliminating the Natanz and Fordo sites to prevent the threat of an atomic bomb used against us. The Iranian people should decide who they want to be their leader. That's their decision, not ours. Stay focused.' The anti-war right is increasingly vocal about how Trump would be breaking his campaign promises by engaging in a foreign war, underscored by a contentious back-and-forth between Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who is advocating for action, and Tucker Carlson, who opposes any U.S. involvement. Carlson quizzed Cruz on his show, peppering him with a question about Iran's population, which Cruz did not know. 'You don't know the population in the country you seek to topple?' Carlson responded. Cruz fired back in multiple posts on X, accusing Carlson of circulating a meaningless 'gotcha' soundbite. 'The cornerstone of American foreign policy should always be the vital security interests of the United States,' Cruz said. 'President Trump and I understand that the best way to avoid war is to be strong.' 'The Iranian regime has been trying to murder President Trump and other American officials for years,' he added. 'It is one of the most basic facts about the threat they pose to the national security of the United States. And yet, there are people who don't want to act against the Ayatollah – and so they deny the assassination threats over, and over, and over, and over.' Read the takeaways from that discussion here. The same back and forth has been playing out among other GOP lawmakers, such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), an isolationist, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), an interventionist. Steve Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist, told reporters the MAGA crowd would ultimately support the president if he decides to join Israel in its strikes against Iran. 'If President Trump decides there's not a diplomatic alternative … because he's been consistent, no nuclear weapon,' Bannon said. 'If President Trump decides to do that, I know, and particularly his skills as a communicator, that he will come and walk people through it and the MAGA movement — look, they'll be some — but the vast majority of the MAGA movement will say, 'look, we trust your judgment, you walked us through this … maybe we hate it but you know, we'll get on board.'' 💡Perspectives: • The Free Press: What unites AOC and Marjorie Taylor Greene? • The Hill: Trump is about to get us into war in Iran. • The Spectator: Trump won't be dragged into regime change war. • Foreign Affairs: How Iran lost. • Wall Street Journal: Iran is Trump's deterrence moment. Read more: • Trump supporters divided over use of 'bunker buster' in Iran. • The Memo: Risks loom as Trump moves toward military action. • MAGA divide over Iran splinters Trump allies. • Pro-Israel group hacks Iran crypto exchange for more than $90M. The Supreme Court upheld Tennessee's ban on puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender minors in a 6-3 decision along ideological lines that will impact how similar laws are passed in roughly half the country. NEWS THIS AFTERNOON President Trump sent a warning shot Wednesday to any Republican senators who vote against his agenda bill, as GOP complaints about the legislation grow. 'Any senator that votes against it…I think they'll be finished in politics,' Trump said. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is getting pushback from his caucus over spending, debt, taxes and Medicaid cuts in the bill. The Hill's Alexander Bolton reports some Senate Republicans were 'blindsided' by elements of the text, which cuts Medicaid by several hundred billion dollars more than the House version of the bill and quickly phases out clean-energy tax credits. 'I had no idea that they were going to completely scrap the House framework like this,' Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said. 'This totally caught me by surprise. And I've talked to other senators, and that's what I've heard consistently from everybody I've talked to.' Even if the bill passes the Senate, it faces another gauntlet in the House, where debt hawks and Republicans from blue states are lining up against it. A new Congressional Budget Office analysis found the bill would add $3.3 trillion to the national debt, even when accounting for its impact on economic growth. 'My main takeaway for you guys is this bill, as the Senate has produced it, is definitely dead if it were to come over to the House in anything resembling its current form,' said Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), a fiscal conservative. Still, Trump has proven in the past he can lean on members to overcome their doubts. 'I can't predict the future, but I do think that we're in a good place to get this done by the July 4 recess,' Vice President Vance said. MEANWHILE… The GOP's investigation into how former President Biden's inner circle concealed his decline from the public got underway on Wednesday, although the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing took place in a mostly-empty room, as Democrats boycotted the proceedings. Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) said a massive 'cover-up' had taken place. 'There was a conspiracy to hide the president's true condition by his family, by his staff, by the media, and many elected officials,' Cornyn said in his opening remarks. 'This was a constitutional crisis bigger than President Biden, bigger than any single election, and one that cannot be absolved by the collective apology of the press and an election where the president's party lost.' 💡Perspectives: • The Hill: 'Big, beautiful bill' penalizes private universities for no reason. • After Babel: How to legislate in a half-known world. • New York: Some Gen-Z women moving to the right. • The Atlantic: The Democratic Party slide into irrelevance. • American Conservative: Neo-cons are working hard to co-opt MAGA. Read more: • Senate bill's Medicaid cuts draw some GOP angst. ECONOMICS The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday, despite pressure from President Trump for cuts. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has steadfastly refused to raise rates, saying Trump's tariffs would provoke a price spike. Powell on Wednesday acknowledged the tariffs had yet to provoke a price spike, but said it could still come. 'It takes some time for tariffs to work their way through the chain of distribution to the end consumer,' Powell said. 'We're beginning to see some effects and we do expect to see more of them over coming months.' The Federal Reserve downgraded its projections for U.S. economic performance this year, saying it sees lower economic growth, higher unemployment and higher prices on the horizon. Earlier in the day, Trump reignited his criticism of Powell, and wondered aloud if he should take over the central bank himself. 'I call him 'too-late Powell' because he's always too late,' Trump said. 'We have no inflation, we have only success,' he added. 'I'd like to see interest rates go down.' The head of the federal agency responsible for overseeing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac called for Powell to resign. • The latest Labor Department data found unemployment benefits fell to 245,000 last week, down from 250,000 the week before, remaining near historically-low levels. • Retail sales fell sharply in May, as consumers pulled back ahead of Trump's tariffs. • Housing starts dropped to the lowest level since the pandemic. IN OTHER NEWS Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth activated an additional 2,000 California National Guard troops to deal with unrest in Los Angeles, amid a legal battle over the deployment of the troops. The U.S. Northern Command said the troops were activated to 'support the protection of federal functions, personnel, and property in the greater Los Angeles area' following days of protests against the Trump administration's immigration raids. The protests were at times marred by looting and clashes with the police. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) lifted a downtown curfew on Tuesday evening, saying it had been successful in 'protecting stores, restaurants, businesses and residential communities,' according to the Los Angeles Times. Bass said she's 'prepared to reissue a curfew if needed.' On Tuesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D) lawsuit against Trump for mobilizing California's Guardsmen received a cool reception from a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, which seemed inclined to back Trump's deployment. The Hill's Zach Schonfeld and Ella Lee write: 'The judges seemed to believe Supreme Court precedent provides the president with broad authority to declare emergencies that can trigger the ability for him to deploy the troops.' MEANWHILE…. • Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick says nearly 70,000 people have applied for Trump's new gold visa card, which is selling for $5 million. The administration has said that if 200,000 are sold, it could be used to pay down $1 trillion in debt. • Trump's border czar Tom Homan said Border Patrol had only 95 encounters at the Southern border over the past 24 hours, the lowest on record. 💡Perspectives: • The Liberal Patriot: The 80 percent party. • MSNBC: Trump isn't untouchable on immigration. • The Nation: Abolishing ICE is the bare minimum. • Times-Picayune: Immigration enforcement needed but not like this. • New York Post: Citizen journalists rise, legacy media fades. Read more: • Obama: US 'dangerously close' to moving toward autocracy. • 'No Kings' protests give badly needed spark of optimism to Democrats. • White House says Trump will push TikTok deadline another 90 days. • Senators call for security funding uptick as shootings spook Capitol Hill. • Minnesota attacks add to fears of rising political violence. Thanks for reading! Sign up for more newsletters from The Hill here. See you tomorrow!
