Latest news with #BarbaraAnn
NBC News
5 hours ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Trump navigates the most complex foreign policy crisis of his presidency, one ‘Truth' at a time
As the conflict between Iran and Israel heated up, and in the wake of surprise U.S. attacks on Iran, President Donald Trump has been carrying out the delicate art of diplomacy through blunt social media posts, full of the bravado — and capital letters — that characterize much of his communications. 'There is not another military in the World that could have done this,' Trump posted to his Truth Social platform on Saturday, announcing the airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. 'NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter.' 'This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD,' he added in a follow-up. 'IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!' For many in the U.S. — including some elected officials — Trump's posts were the primary way to learn about what was happening. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, said he first learned about the strikes this way. Since June 17, Trump has posted to his social media site more than two dozen times on a conflict in which he played a central role. His updates were often punctuated, "Thank you for your attention to this matter!' And, on Wednesday, he even posted footage of a few B2 stealth fighter jets dropping bombs as 'Bomb Iran,' a parody of the 1960's song 'Barbara Ann,' played in the background. Trump has also shared adulatory coverage of his handling of the conflict, frequently linking to commentary on Fox News in recent days and citing political figures like Charlie Kirk and even Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor who ran against Trump for president in 2016. Trump has for years veered from political convention in using social media to campaign, target rivals or advance his agenda. But in the most consequential foreign policy moment of his presidency, Trump's diplomacy by social media has garnered renewed attention, remarkable for its break from how past presidents have carried out such interactions. 'Any comment made by the president of the United States about America's national security is interpreted as our official policy and has impact on the world, regardless of the format in which the comment was made,' Adrienne Watson, who served as National Security Council spokesperson for President Joe Biden, said. "The language of a tweet should be treated with as much care as a diplomatic negotiation. Otherwise, the president has needlessly risked misinterpretation and miscalculation.' Trump's allies and advisers have expressed appreciation for the president's messaging, even in such a high-stakes setting. They said his seemingly off-the-cuff style has helped hammer home his message and make his position clear to all involved. And they added that the very public nature of his social media posts puts additional pressure on both Israel and Iran to go along with what the U.S. wants. 'When you reduce ambiguity in a national security or foreign policy environment, it's a good thing,' one Trump administration official, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly, said. 'The game of telephone through old models of diplomatic channels, you can still use them. But when appropriate, the commander in chief voicing his goals, his ideas, so forcefully and so clearly, is a good thing.' Kenneth Weinstein, the Japan chair of the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank, said Trump's social media strategy is about his need 'to eliminate the middleman.' 'He does not trust the bureaucracy to take his messages and transmit them, and he can transmit them very bluntly and very directly and in real time, rather than having to go up and down the chain,' Weinstein said. 'And that's what he sees: The reactions can be immediate to it, rather than setting up a meeting, and somebody has to get on an airplane.' Weinstein said he sees Trump's method as effective because other countries know these posts reflect his real thinking. 'Whether it's deceiving the Iranians, whether it's bluntly delivering a message to either our allies or partners or our adversaries, they get the message and they understand it's coming from him,' he added. 'And they don't have to scratch their heads and wonder.' But there are risks in Trump's approach, too, particularly as he speaks on nuanced diplomatic matters in absolute terms — whether it be about ' totally destroyed ' nuclear sites or a ' forever" ceasefire, results he may be trying to manifest at an early stage. Those risks were magnified Monday, when Trump was the first to announce a ceasefire agreement on Truth Social. 'It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE (in approximately 6 hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions!), for 12 hours, at which point the War will be considered, ENDED!' Trump wrote. That post kicked off hours of confusion, as both Israel and Iran seemed reluctant to confirm that there was an agreement and that they would abide by it. Trump posted through it. At crucial moments when it seemed the ceasefire hung in the balance, he weighed in multiple times to exhort both sides, but especially Israel, not to do anything to set the other off. Trump also engages in more traditional diplomatic methods, like calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday and urging him to turn around Israeli planes set to target Iran. 'President Trump was exceptionally firm and direct with Prime Minister Netanyahu about what needed to happen to sustain the ceasefire,' a White House official told NBC News. 'The Prime Minister understood the severity of the situation and the concerns President Trump expressed.' Later Tuesday afternoon, an initial assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency concluded that the U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear enrichment sites did not destroy the facilities, but rather set the country's nuclear program back by only a few months, according to three people with knowledge of the report. That assessment ran counter to Trump's Truth Social posts, which talked up the ' obliteration ' of three Iranian nuclear facilities the U.S. bombed over the weekend and the ' monumental damage ' they sustained. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt disputed the DIA report as 'flat-out wrong,' adding, 'The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran's nuclear program.' Trump's message has at times appeared to conflict with other administration officials, like on Sunday when, after Vice President JD Vance told NBC News' 'Meet the Press' the administration's 'view has been very clear that we don't want a regime change' in Iran, Trump posted to Truth Social: 'It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change???' 'MIGA!!!' he added. Trump later said he does not want regime change in Iran. Elliott Abrams, a deputy national security adviser under President George W. Bush and a special representative for Iran and Venezuela in Trump's first term, said that while there are upsides to the president's social media diplomacy — particularly the speed with which he is able to spread messages and the certainty readers have that they're getting Trump's own views — the filters that are being pushed aside 'can serve a really useful purpose.' 'There isn't anybody who knows everything and can't make mistakes,' Abrams, now a senior fellow in Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said. 'And that includes presidents, which is why they're supposed to have and use a good staff.' 'The statement about 'obliterating' their nuclear weapons program … when he made that statement we clearly had no information,' Abrams added. 'So the danger you run into there is your remarks are discounted and everyone says well, 'He probably doesn't mean that.' So you're undermining your own impact.' Reached for comment on Trump's social media strategy amid the conflict, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said: 'The President has proven that our Commander in Chief can remain accessible while maintaining operational security for important missions, as proven by the tremendous success and flawless execution of Operation Midnight Hammer." Trump's handling of communications around a foreign conflict is far different than that of his predecessors — though being able to message quickly under these conditions is critical under any process, said Rufus Gifford, who served as Biden's chief of protocol and ambassador to Denmark under President Barack Obama. 'You want to control the narrative,' Gifford said. 'So you have to release a statement quickly in order to make sure that people understand what just happened. Because obviously, if you drop a bomb, people are going to learn pretty quickly that that just happened. So you have to take responsibility for it.' But Gifford said that the tone leaders take in talking about the degree of success of such an operation should be similar to how they communicate during any sort of national disaster, whether it be a mass shooting or a hurricane. 'You own it, and you show that leadership,' he said. 'And then in the days and weeks to come, we'll figure out and we will provide more, but it's more important than anything else that you have that what you're reporting to the American people is 100% true, and the world is 100% true, at least to the best of your knowledge. And I think that that doesn't happen in this instance, and I think that's damaging.' 'When the United States speaks, it's very often the last word,' Gifford added. 'It's hard when diplomacy is contingent on the informality and … a degree of bad grammar and all-caps and all that ridiculousness. I understand that's a style that [others] support. But generally speaking, I find it to be largely counterproductive. And potentially even risky considering the situation.' Trump's posts also show a leader who is eager to put his own stamp on the conflict and cement his role in history alongside it. At times, he has presented himself as the only person who could stop a conflict, writing Monday evening that 'Israel & Iran came to me, almost simultaneously, and said, 'PEACE!'' 'I knew the time was NOW,' he wrote. On Tuesday, referring to the Arab-Israeli War of 1967, which Israelis refer to as the Six-Day War, Trump dubbed the recent conflict between Israel and Iran the '12 DAY WAR.' 'Both Israel and Iran wanted to stop the War, equally!' Trump wrote Tuesday. 'It was my great honor to Destroy All Nuclear facilities & capability, and then, STOP THE WAR!' A close Trump ally, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the president 'knows this is a historical event, and he wants to establish exactly what he wants the history books to be, and he doesn't trust anyone else to do that.' 'You've got three people who all want to have history written slightly different,' this person added, referring to Trump, Netanyahu and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 'He's trying to establish himself as the most dominant figure of the story.' The president's social media habits highlight what a second Trump administration aide said is his broader approach to governance. 'Trump doesn't think he needs to be staffed, really,' this person said, adding that Trump isn't one to require that national security decisions to go through multiple levels of policy coordination committees and then an international security cabinet meeting. 'It's just not bottom up. He's in the room with his advisers, and he makes decisions, and then he tells the whole world.' As for the impact of Trump's diplomacy-via-Truth Social posts, this person said all of the actors in the region are still trying to sort out their own positions. 'The best way to describe it is, there's probably a lot of confusion from everybody, friend and foe alike, which I think is how he likes to operate,' this person said. 'That's an uncomfortable position for most people. It's not an uncomfortable position for the president. He likes strategic ambiguity because he thinks it gives some flexibility on decision making.'
Sky News AU
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
‘Bomb Iran': Donald Trump posts parody song to social media following strikes
US President Donald Trump has posted a video on social media featuring a song called 'Bomb Iran'. The video shows clips of B-2 stealth fighter jets – the same used in the strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. The song is a parody of the 1961 record 'Barbara Ann' by the Regents.
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First Post
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- First Post
'Bomb Iran': Trump posts video B-2 stealth fighter jets with parody song after 'brokering' ceasefire
The song is a parody of the 1961 song 'Barbara Ann' by the Regents. The video shows several B-2 stealth fighter jets, which were deployed to drop 14 GBU-57 bunker buster bombs in Iran earlier this week read more US President Donald Trump has shared a video on his Truth Social account featuring a compilation of B-2 stealth fighter jets dropping bombs as the song 'Bomb Iran' by Vince Vance & the Valiants plays in the background. The song is a parody of the 1961 song 'Barbara Ann' by the Regents. The video shows several B-2 stealth fighter jets, which were deployed to drop 14 GBU-57 bunker buster bombs in Iran earlier this week. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Donald J. Trump Truth Social 06.24.25 07:15 PM EST — Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) June 24, 2025 Interestingly, Trump shared the video after he brokered a ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran to end the week-long hostilities. 'Went to a mosque, gonna throw some rocks, tell the Ayatollah, 'Gonna put you in a box!' Bomb Iran,' the song lyrics said. What are the B-2 stealth fighter jets? Designed and developed by Northrop Grumman during the Cold War, the B-2 stealth fighter jets are the most sophisticated aircraft built by the US. According to Reuters, only 21 B-2 stealth jets have been produced since the fall of the Soviet Union and each unit costs about $2.1 billion. With its bat-like shape and radar-absorbing materials, the B-2 is designed to be nearly invisible to radar, reportedly having a radar cross-section comparable to that of a small bird. Manned by a two-person crew, the aircraft relies heavily on automation to minimise pilot workload and reduce operational risk. 'Completely destroyed' Meanwhile, US media have reported that American strikes on Iran could not destroy the country's nuclear facilities, as Trump says, but only set it back by a few months. Trump has vehemently rejected these reports, saying, 'The nuclear sites in Iran are completely destroyed! Both the Times and CNN are getting slammed by the public!' US media have cited people familiar with the Defence Intelligence Agency findings as saying the weekend strikes did not fully eliminate Iran's centrifuges or stockpile of enriched uranium. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With inputs from agencies
The Hill
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Hill
Trump posts video with ‘Bomb Iran' song amid ceasefire
President Trump posted a new video on Truth Social featuring a compilation of videos of B-2 stealth fighter jets dropping bombs along with the 1980 song 'Bomb Iran' by Vince Vance & the Valiants. The song, a parody of the 1961 song 'Barbara Ann' by the Regents, plays over a video of various B-2 stealth fighter jets, which were used to drop 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs, or 'bunker busters,' in Iran. The jets were specifically used on the Fordow Fuel Enrichment plant and the Natanz Enrichment Complex, key nuclear sites in Iran. The U.S. also hit Iran's Isfahan nuclear site. The song continues with the lyrics, 'Went to a mosque, gonna throw some rocks, tell the Ayatollah, 'Gonna put you in a box!' Bomb Iran.' The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment. Trump posted the video on Truth Social Tuesday night amid rising tensions between Iran, Israel and the U.S. after U.S. military strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities this past weekend. The video is just the latest post from the president on the rising conflict in the Middle East, even singling out Israel in a rare move, advising them against dropping more bombs in a Truth Social post. Around the same time, Trump came down on the Iranians and Israelis earlier in the day at the White House, voicing his displeasure at continued fighting between the two adversaries. 'We basically — we have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the f‑‑‑ they're doing,' Trump told reporters at the White House earlier Tuesday. While Trump hailed the strikes against the nuclear facilities as a success, an early intelligence assessment reportedly found that Tehran's nuclear program was set back by only months.
Irish Daily Mirror
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
God Only Knows what modern music would be without Beach Boy Brian Wilson
I remember the first time I heard Brian Wilson, the classical composer of our time who died last week. I was about five and the Beach Boys were on TV, their headphones on, singing Barbara Ann around a mic. The harmonies were exquisite, unique. If I could sing around a mic like that for the rest of my life, I thought, I'd be happy forever. Beach Boy Brian meant the world to me, so it was a hard blow to hear of his death on Wednesday, especially so soon after another musical titan, Sly Stone. What he leaves behind is the legacy of his work, the heart and soul he put into it, songs that 'make people feel something inside', as Wilson said himself. That Barbara Ann moment was just the beginning of a lifelong musical love affair with Wilson. I got into the Beach Boys big time - I loved the early California surf stuff like Help Me Rhonda and Little Deuce Coupe, and I Get Around is the prototype punk song. In My Room is a swirly ballad, loved by Kurt Cobain. Yet it wasn't until I discovered Pet Sounds that I fully realised the depth of Wilson's genius. I credit Lewis Clohessy for introducing me to it. He's my friend Helen's dad and one of the nation's great culture vultures. Lewis knew I loved the Pixies and the Beatles and he said to me: 'Well, if you like both of those, you must listen to Pet Sounds.' When Paul McCartney said it inspired Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club, everyone took notice. God Only Knows is on it, which Macca called "the best song ever written". While much is made of Wilson's early influences such as Bach, Mozart, Gershwin and Bernstein, it was the Phil Spector production sound that was the most influential of all. Musically, it's obviously a triumph with its heavy-reverb combination of sound and layered vocals, inspired by Brian's favourite song Be My Baby by the Ronettes, which he used to listen to every day. Or: 'EVERY. DAY.' as his daughter Carnie pointedly recalled, in the documentary of his life I Just Wasn't Made For These Times, named after the track that sums up Brian more than any other. But it's the lyrics that get me: Brian Wilson is still the songwriter I most relate to, which sometimes feels like a strange thing to say, considering serious mental health conditions such as bipolar and schizo-affective disorder. He speaks to me like no-one else. I loved Brian's obsessions; the involved way he discussed music; his vulnerability; the funny way he had of talking out of the side of his mouth. He is the greatest influence on modern music today, inspiring bands such as the Ramones, The Pixies, the B52s, Weezer, Nirvana, even Fontaines DC. My favourite song is actually one of Brian's favourites too - Do It Again, from their 1969 album 20/20. I haven't even got to discussing their brilliant 1970's era, such as the brilliant Holland (music guru Dave Fanning's top choice) and Surf's Up. It was a dream come true when I interviewed Brian in 2018. He had cognitive issues, yet he was a fine conversationalist once the topic stayed on music. I still relish how he described I Get Around as "a rock n'roll salad". The last word will go to the great Tom Petty, who said of him: 'I think I would put Brian Wilson up there with any composer. I don't think you'd be out of line comparing him to Beethoven. His music is probably as good as any you could make.'
