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The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
The American right is falling out of love with Israel
Unconditional American support for Israel — once the bedrock of conservative foreign policy — is crumbling in real time. From Congress to right-wing media and Trump-aligned grassroots organizations, a new tone is taking shape towards Israel: one of skepticism, impatience and in some cases outright hostility. The Republican Party's old covenant with Israel is no longer sacred — and the cracks are widening fast. In the mid-20th century, Republicans were generally skeptical of Israel, instead favoring Arab ties. Support grew later, driven by Cold War strategy, evangelical Zionism, neoconservatism and post-9/11 alliances — ultimately transforming the GOP into Israel's most loyal political partner. But that alliance is now eroding at a stunning pace. If Israel hopes to preserve its standing, it must act swiftly to reassert its dependability as a strategic ally — or risk forfeiting support not only from the American left, but from its most reliable partners on the right. Nowhere is the fracture more evident than in President Trump's second term. In April, his administration slapped Israel with a 17 percent reciprocal tariff. Israeli officials were 'in complete shock' after having abolished tariffs on U.S. imports in hopes of an exemption. This signaled that Trump would not give Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu everything he wanted — friendship doesn't mean favoritism. That message grew louder during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran. Trump brokered a fragile ceasefire that Israel broke within hours. On June 24, Trump erupted in fury. 'They don't know what the f— they're doing,' he snapped. 'I'm not happy with Israel … you don't go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them.' And it wasn't an isolated outburst. Two months earlier, Netanyahu had pleaded with Trump to take a hard line with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose military was planning on operating a military base in Syria, but the Israeli Air Force struck the base three days before the meeting in the White House. Trump refused. 'If you have a problem with Turkey, I think we'll be able to work it out … as long as you are reasonable,' he told Netanyahu in the Oval Office in front of the press. In effect, Trump told Netanyahu to sit down and compromise with a regional adversary. Then came Damascus. As sectarian violence between Druze and Bedouin communities engulfed Syria's Suwayda province, Israel launched airstrikes on government positions in the capital, ostensibly in support of the Druze. The strikes risked a wider regional war and drew immediate outrage from the White House. Trump personally phoned Netanyahu and demanded restraint, furious that Israel had acted without coordination and against his express wishes. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was 'caught off guard' and unhappy with the airstrikes. It was the clearest signal yet that Trump's strategic patience with Netanyahu was gone and his instinct now was to rein Israel in. Influential conservatives are questioning U.S. support for Israel. Tucker Carlson, once staunchly pro-Israel, now voices deep skepticism. Carlson recently suggested that Jeffrey Epstein worked for Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, and argued that Americans serving in Israel's army should lose citizenship. Shifting Republican attitudes on Israel are increasingly visible in Congress. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) stunned colleagues this month by proposing an amendment to eliminate upwards of $500 million in U.S. military aid for Israel's missile defense. Greene cited Israel's recent bombing of Gaza's only Catholic church and railed against funding 'nuclear-armed Israel's missile defense system' while Americans face domestic needs. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) was the only GOP House member who voted with her, along with four Democrats. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), perhaps Congress's most ardent pro-Israel voice, recently blasted violent attacks by Jewish settlers on Christians. 'There was a Catholic church burned in the West Bank,' Graham said angrily on Fox News, referring to a church compound torched by extremist Israeli settlers. 'What's happening in the West Bank bothers the hell out of me,' he added, demanding that Netanyahu punish those responsible. When a stalwart like Graham is 'incredibly upset' by Israeli settler violence, it's clear that the old consensus is cracking. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) recently delivered a blistering segment on One America News condemning Israeli settlers in the West Bank — rhetoric rarely heard on right-wing TV. 'The truth is, this isn't an isolated tragedy. It's part of a pattern of Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian communities … torching of homes, farms and lives,' he said, adding they're 'protected by Israeli forces who are funded by U.S. tax dollars.' Citing the killing of Saif Musallet, a Palestinian American, in the West Bank, Gaetz noted that 'Israel rarely holds these killers accountable.' Even Fox News is shifting. The network aired a surprising interview by Bret Baier with Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi. Such a platform for Israel's archenemy would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. The move reflects growing discomfort among right-wing audiences with one-sided pro-Israel narratives and a desire for an 'America First' approach. Polling confirms that conservative ardor for Israel is fading. A recent Quinnipiac poll found Republican sympathy for Israel had dropped to 64 percent, down from 78 percent a year earlier. Pollsters tied the decline to Israel's ongoing offensive in Gaza. Overall, more Americans now hold an unfavorable view of Israel's government than before the Gaza war began. The message to Israel from the American right is now unmistakable: Support is no longer unconditional. To preserve its standing, Israel must act as a responsible, stable and strategically aligned partner. That means wrapping up the war in Gaza quickly, reining in extremist settlers in the West Bank and credibly demonstrating respect for civilian life and the long-term viability of regional stability. The era of automatic American backing for Israel is ending. If Israeli leaders fail to adapt, they risk losing even their most loyal conservative allies.
CNBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CNBC
5 things to know before the Tuesday open: Another record Fed meeting ruling
The S&P 500 was able to inch higher on Monday, notching its sixth straight all-time high closing record. While that's good enough news on paper, it was a rather unexciting move considering the trade deal between the U.S. and European Union announced on Sunday. Monday's muted action may underscore uncertainty about the many potential catalysts on deck this week. There's a deluge of earnings reports expected and a Federal Reserve policy meeting, as well as key economic data on labor and inflation due. S&P 500 futures advanced on Tuesday morning as traders wondered if the streak could continue. Follow live market updates here. With the White House's Friday tariff deadline just days away, President Donald Trump offered a broad proclamation. Countries that have not ironed out deals with the U.S. will face a base tariff "in the range" of 15% to 20%, he said on Monday. Remember, as CNBC's Erin Doherty noted, that any rate in this range would be higher than the 10% baseline tariff first announced by Trump in April. With the deadline looming, the question is which countries will manage to secure better deals before time runs out. Billions of dollars in cost cuts are coming for Merck over the next few years, the company said Tuesday. It plans to slash $3 billion by the end of 2027 as it readies for the patent expiration of cancer drug Keytruda the following year. Additionally, as CNBC's Annika Kim Constantino reported, the announcement comes as pharmaceutical makers grapple with the tariff outlook and aim to build up domestic manufacturing. Merck posted second-quarter revenue that came in slightly lower than Wall Street expected and provided a narrower range for full-year guidance. The Federal Reserve will keep its policy meeting closed to the public this week, as it has for half a century. While that's business as usual for those who follow central bank gatherings, the decision comes at the hands of a U.S. District Court judge — who on Monday rejected a request from a Trump-aligned investment fund to open the meeting to the public. This is the latest installment in an ongoing pressure campaign from Trump and his allies to press the Fed to lower interest rates. But the White House may need to wait: Fed funds futures are pricing in a more than 97% likelihood of the central bank keeping rates unchanged at this week's meeting, according to CME Group's FedWatch tool. Starting next month, the Las Vegas Sphere — that giant dome known for its larger-than-life concerts — will screen the hit 1939 movie "The Wizard of Oz." There's an artificial intelligence component, as well. Engineers partnered with Google Cloud on using AI "outpainting" to expand the original film to fill the space. The goal, as CNBC's Krysta Escobar reports, is to have viewers feel like they were in the studio as the movie was being made. —
Politico
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Kathy Hochul has a plan for Stefanik
With help from Amira McKee STEFANIK BEGONE-IK: Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik might not be running for governor yet, but Gov. Kathy Hochul is preparing for it anyway. A new campaign strategy memo, shared first with Playbook, reveals how Team Hochul plans to win the governor's race next year: She will relentlessly tie Stefanik to President Donald Trump. 'Governor Kathy Hochul is delivering for New Yorkers. Elise Stefanik is delivering for Donald Trump,' says the memo, which was prepared by Hochul's campaign manager, Preston Elliot. 'Throughout her career, Stefanik has been a champion for Donald Trump's extreme, unpopular agenda — putting her vastly out of touch with New York voters in a state Trump lost twice,' Elliot writes. 'Stefanik brags about being Trump's 'top ally,' and she's right – she has voted to benefit Trump at the expense of her constituents at every opportunity.' The document is the first of its kind from Hochul's campaign since her closer-than-expected victory three years ago. It's also timely. It was shared less than 24 hours after Republican Rep. Mike Lawler — who once pitched himself as the practical, moderate option for a GOP gubernatorial victory — announced Wednesday morning he won't run for governor. The Hochul playbook is an early bet that Trump's unpopularity in New York will effectively hamper Stefanik's run for governor, or a similar bid from a MAGA-minded Republican like Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. Lawler's exit from consideration has made it almost certain the state's GOP will be running with a Trump-aligned candidate next year. In June, Lawler made the case that 'you can't win a statewide election in New York just by pounding your chest and saying that you're the most MAGA candidate.' Team Hochul agrees. Her campaign's memo highlights how Stefanik backed Trump's tariffs, supported DOGE and federal funding cuts to public radio, and called for a 15-week national abortion ban. It argues Stefanik's votes on the House floor show she is in favor of gutting Medicare. While Hochul's favorability dipped to a record low of 34 percent in September — Trump was even more popular than her in New York at the time — the governor has slowly improved her numbers. A Siena poll from late June found 42 percent of registered voters view Hochul favorably, though she remained underwater with 47 percent unfavorability. The poll also found Hochul beat Stefanik 47-24 percent in a head-to-head, with 29 percent of voters undecided or wanting someone else. A separate Siena poll conducted over the same period found Trump is viewed unfavorably by 60 percent of voters and favorably by 37 percent of them. Trump lost New York by 23 points in 2020. In 2024, that gap shrank to 13, and he won the suburban counties of Rockland, Suffolk and Nassau. As Hochul aims to make Trump the boogeyman of 2026, Stefanik is already tying Hochul to Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. 'Kathy Hochul is bending the knee to the raging Antisemite Communist who may be elected Mayor and would destroy New York City,' her spokesperson, Wendell Husebo, said in a statement. Mamdani's spokesperson Jeffrey Lerner responded, saying, 'There's an affordability crisis in New York and it's because corrupt politicians like Elise Stefanik have sold out to billionaires and corporations. New York will resoundingly reject her at the ballot box next November.' Husebo contended Hochul's attempt to tie Zeldin to Trump fell flat last election and that Stefanik has yet to tap into her base of large-dollar donors from around the country. He said she has already activated small-dollar donors and predicts she'll significantly outraise what Zeldin brought in. 'Hochul owns her catastrophic record,' Husebo said. 'Unlike Kathy Hochul who quietly grovels to President Trump behind closed doors because she sees his skyrocketing polling numbers and her plummeting polls, Elise Stefanik is proud to publicly work with President Trump on making New York more affordable, safer, and Make New York Great Again.' — Jason Beeferman From the Capitol REDISTRICTING REDUX: Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul is not ruling out a mid-decade redrawing of New York's House lines as deep red Texas and Ohio move to reshape their maps through redistricting. 'All's fair in love and war. We're following the rules, we do redistricting every 10 years,' Hochul said during an unrelated event Thursday in Buffalo. 'But if there's other states violating the rules and are trying to give themselves an advantage, all I'll say is, I'm going to look at it closely with Hakeem Jeffries.' The governor's comments are her first since Republican Gov. Greg Abbott announced a special session of the Texas Legislature to focus on redistricting. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' team spoke with Hochul's office about redistricting earlier this month following Abbott's announcement, according to two people with direct knowledge of the conversation. 'I'm not surprised that they're trying to break the rules to get an advantage,' Hochul added. 'But that's undemocratic and, not only are we calling them out, we're also going to see what our options are.' Not all Democrats are on board with the tit-for-tat idea. State Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs, a Hochul ally, said in an interview this week that mid-decade redistricting would be a mistake. 'I understand those in New York who are watching what's happening in Texas and Ohio want to offset their unfair advantage,' Jacobs told POLITICO earlier this week. 'But I think we need to be careful about democracy, because I'm finding it to be pretty fragile at this time in our history.' Read more from POLITICO's Nick Reisman. FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL NOT 'IN ANY CAPACITY': London Mayor Sadiq Khan is not advising Mamdani's campaign either formally or informally, a spokesperson for the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor stressed Thursday, after a British outlet reported otherwise. 'Mayor Khan and Zohran spoke briefly and warmly, as Zohran has with several elected officials after his primary victory,' Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec said in a statement to Playbook. 'We value the support of leaders who are watching what's happening in New York, but it's important to clarify that Mayor Khan is not advising the campaign in any capacity.' The clarification from Mamdani's team came after the London-based outlet The Times reported that Khan — a leader of the left-leaning Labour Party and, like Mamdani, a Muslim elected official — serves as an informal adviser to Mamdani's general election bid. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has sought to broaden his base of support as he faces incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Republican Curtis Sliwa and independent business leader Jim Walden in the general election. But whether Mamdani will shift his platform from the hard left closer to the center is an unanswered question. The Times cited unnamed Khan sources who said Khan and Mamdani have been exchanging text messages. The outlet quoted an unnamed London City Hall source who said Mamdani 'needs to moderate or he could lose the more centrist Democrats.' — Emily Ngo NEW YORK IS THE ISTANBUL OF AMERICA: Adams comfortably jokes about allegedly receiving bribes from the Turkish government in a campaign video posted today — months after the Trump administration dropped the charges he strongly denied. 'I can think of many places I'd go to get away from y'all: Ankara? Istanbul? Or Zero Bond!' Adams says in a campaign video, referring to Turkey's two largest cities and his favorite downtown private club. 'But I realized, I'm not a wannabe mayor. I'm the actual mayor. I can't just get up and leave,' Adams continues. Adams was playfully knocking Democratic nominee Mamdani for traveling to Uganda 'to celebrate winning half an election' and Andrew Cuomo for going to the Hamptons, speculating he's 'writing another book on failed leadership.' It's odd criticism coming from Adams, who himself vacationed in Monaco after winning the 2021 primary, has written two books and has also left the city to fundraise in Fort Lauderdale and the Hamptons in the past month. Adams is turning on the charm in the video as he looks to the general election. The style and tone of it evokes Mamdani's own much lauded social media content. Cuomo is also testing a more conversational video style after the primary, with news outlet Zeteo making its own video joking about establishment Democrats copying the style. — Jeff Coltin IN OTHER NEWS — 'THEY'RE SHUTTING ME UP': Former Rep. George Santos has a few final thoughts before beginning his 87-month prison sentence on Friday. (POLITICO) — BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE: New Adams 'donors' say they never gave to his reelection campaign. (THE CITY) — $1 POT FARM: The Erie County Legislature is considering transferring 152 acres of land to the scions of a famous products business for the price of $1 so they can build a $40 million industrial marijuana farm on the site. (Buffalo News) — DEFENSE DEAL: Attorneys at New York City's largest public defender organization reached a tentative contract deal two days before they were set to go on strike. (Gothamist) Missed this morning's New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.
LeMonde
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- LeMonde
From Mark Zuckerberg to Elon Musk, the Palo Alto 'boys' club'
On January 10, the mood was laid-back and unmistakably masculine in Joe Rogan's studio – a space decked out like an American heartland bar, with flashy neon lights and wooden partitions. The comedian, martial arts youth champion and top-ranked podcaster in the United States had landed a major guest: Mark Zuckerberg. The Meta CEO rarely gives interviews but made a three-hour-long exception with Rogan, a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, to talk bowhunting, the excesses of the American left and progress in artificial intelligence. With his gentle smile, the "nice Zuck" delivered a line that stood out against his usually careful phrasing. The man whose progressive image has long obscured the fact that his first college project was a "Hot or Not"-style app comparing the looks of Harvard women, made a striking claim: "The masculine energy is good. Society has plenty of that, but I think corporate culture is really trying to get away from it. All these forms of energy are good, and I think having a culture that celebrates the aggression a bit more has its own merits." Still, it was hard to see how Meta – where just 36% of employees are women and only four of 15 board members are female – could be suffering from a masculinity deficit. But that is the spirit of the times: Zuckerberg's new Trump-aligned allies believe society has become "neutered or emasculated," as he put it to Rogan. And he seemed eager to show them he was firmly on their side in this Battle of the Sexes.
CNN
23-07-2025
- Business
- CNN
Skydance pledges to Trump's FCC it'll eliminate DEI, install ‘ombudsman' to root out ‘bias' at CBS News
Donald Trump Corporate news Federal agencies MediaFacebookTweetLink Skydance Media needs the approval of President Donald Trump's Federal Communications Commission in order to take over Paramount Global. It's now promising to root out 'bias' at CBS News in order to get it. In a pair of letters filed Tuesday with the FCC, Skydance committed to a post-merger 'comprehensive review of CBS,' including a promise to install an ombudsman to evaluate complaints of 'bias or other concerns' at the news network and report their findings to the new Paramount's president. Skydance also committed to eliminating Paramount's diversity, equity and inclusion practices at the entertainment giant once it takes over. The letters touted that Skydance does not and will not have any DEI programs in place. The letters demonstrate Skydance CEO David Ellison's eagerness to complete the deal to merge with Paramount, which was first agreed upon in July 2024. Ellison, the son of billionaire Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, was spotted meeting with Trump ringside at multiple UFC events this year. Amid its push for Trump administration approval of the merger, Paramount agreed to pay $16 million earlier this month to settle a lawsuit filed last year by President Trump over a '60 Minutes' interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. The settlement generated outrage both inside and outside Paramount, not least because legal experts believed the lawsuit to be frivolous. Critics of the settlement used words like 'bribe' to describe the payment because of the leverage President Trump held over the pending merger. However, Paramount maintained that 'this lawsuit is completely separate from, and unrelated to, the Skydance transaction and the FCC approval process.' FCC chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump loyalist, has also said the merger review process is separate — despite previously stating the '60 Minutes' case would be 'likely to arise' in his agency's review. Less than two weeks after the settlement, Ellison met with Carr and other FCC officials. Those meetings took place amid reports that Skydance had made a 'side deal' with Trump for an additional $15 million or more in airtime for public service announcements promoting Trump-aligned causes. In Skydance's first letter to Carr, Stephanie Kyoko McKinnon, the entertainment company's general counsel and co-president of business operations, committed to a 'comprehensive review' of CBS, stressing Skydance's recognition that the broadcast network is 'charged with operating in the public interest.' Kyoko McKinnon further said that Skydance will 'make any necessary changes to ensure compliance' and ensure CBS upholds 'viewpoint diversity.' 'After consummation of the proposed transaction, New Paramount's new management will ensure that the company's array of news and entertainment programing embodies a diversity of viewpoints across the political and ideological spectrum, consistent with the varying perspective of the viewing audience,' Kyoko McKinnon wrote to Carr — promising to install the ombudsman for at least two years. Such a commitment plays directly to President Trump and the MAGA movement's long-held belief that news outlets like CBS are biased against conservative viewpoints. Similarly, the second letter's signaling that the new Paramount will eliminate the company's existing DEI policies speaks to a key conservative initiative of Trump's second term. Over the last six months, the Trump administration has rolled back DEI policies, largely through threats to investigate the private companies that maintain them. The most recent high-profile example of this was Verizon's merger this spring with Frontier, which was greenlit only after the telecom giant made DEI concessions. Paramount and Skydance did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
