Trump’s Gladiator Delusion
The president’s South Lawn fight lacks the ambition of ancient Rome.

Mary Trump, the president's niece and a frequent critic, drew on her own family history this week to argue that her uncle is the last person who should be lecturing anyone about masculinity.In the latest edition of her newsletter, "Trump Trolls Trump," the clinical psychologist took aim at the spectacle of Republicans posturing over who counts as manly enough, and used her firsthand knowledge of the family that raised Donald Trump to puncture it."I grew up in a family with Donald Trump," she wrote, before delivering the verdict: he "knows absolutely nothing about being a real man."The line landed in the middle of a takedown of Sen. Ted Cruz, who had questioned the masculinity of Texas state Rep. James Talarico, joking that a stiff breeze would blow the Democrat over and mocking him over rumors of a meatless campaign and his opposition to oil and gas. Mary Trump was unimpressed with the idea of Cruz appointing himself an authority on the subject, wondering aloud what the qualification even amounts to in public office.If masculinity were going to be defined at all, she argued, a baseline requirement ought to be defending your spouse when another man publicly insults her. That, she noted, is something Cruz never managed. She pointed back to the 2016 campaign, when Trump pushed a conspiracy theory tying Cruz's father to the assassination of John F. Kennedy and then publicly demeaned Cruz's wife. Cruz, she wrote, swallowed his pride and endorsed Trump anyway.The president, she suggested, fails the same test by an even wider margin, and she made clear she considers herself uniquely positioned to say so, having watched him up close inside the family.The "real man" jab fits the throughline of Mary Trump's running commentary, which casts her uncle's behavior not as a series of gaffes but as a consistent display of who he has always been. As she has put it, nothing about him has changed.She closed her newsletter the way she often does, framing ridicule as a political weapon: "Mockery is our superpower."
The president’s South Lawn fight lacks the ambition of ancient Rome.
Eric Trump, the oldest of President Donald Trump's sons, was allegedly texting a UFC insider about whether any of the fights on the "UFC Freedom 250" event card were "rigged," according to a new report. Daniel Cormier, a UFC commentator, shared images on his X account of Trump texting him for information about whether any fighters were injured ahead of their matches, as well as other information he could use to place bets. "I'll just cut to the chase. Are any of the fights tomorrow rigged?" one image showed Trump asking Cormier. "I've been eyeing the Lopes fight and I think an upset wouldn't be too unrealistic $$" Screen grabs of the since-deleted post were reshared by several MMA fan accounts, and MMA journalist Adam Martin confirmed that he, too, had seen the original post before it was taken down. Martin also questioned the authenticity of Cormier's original post. "I will say that the DMs from Trump were a bit weird," Martin wrote on X. "I do wonder if he got hacked and some hacker sent the DMs to DC. But DC's post 100% was legit. He pulled the classic Jon Jones 'tweet and delete' move. Hopefully, he comments on this sometime tonight. DC didn't do anything wrong [by the way]." Cormier seemed to respond to the speculation that Trump had sought inside information from him in a cryptic post on X. "Are people really this dumb?" Cormier asked.
President Donald Trump's announcement on Sunday that the U.S. and Iran had reached a new agreement that provides a pathway to ending the more-than 100-day-old conflict was mocked by some political analysts as "insulting."Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had fully authorized the "toll-free" reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a global waterway that accounts for 20% of global energy trade. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has been mediating the talks, posted on X that the agreement "[laid] the foundation for the technical talks and the official signing ceremony," which is scheduled for this Friday. The announcement was made less than one hour before Trump's "UFC Freedom 250" event at the White House began. It also sent Brent crude oil prices tumbling to roughly $83 per barrel, its lowest level since the war began. Initial details of the deal from Iranian state media say the U.S. agreed to include a reconstruction package worth at least $300 billion and to release $12 billion of the regime's frozen assets. Political analysts and observers mocked the announced deal on social media, arguing that it was yet another instance where Trump backed down from his threats. "The reported details of this Iran deal are so insulting to the 13 U.S. servicemen and women who died," Mike Nellis, a Democratic political strategist, posted on X. "We’ve accomplished nothing. Iran is reopening the Strait of Hormuz, not giving up its uranium, and Trump is going to give them $25 billion. That’s way worse than the deal Obama negotiated.""Congrats on things being back to how they were before you and Israel started this nonsense. What an incredible achievement," Barry Malone, a journalist and political commentator, posted on X. "Until this is in writing and all parties sign in agreement, there is NO deal," Gabe Sanchez, who hosts the "What Was That Show" podcast, posted on X. "Trump gave away everything and I’m positive that he will screw it up even more.""The president surrendered on his birthday," writer Peter Rothpletz posted on X.
Former Vice President Mike Pence cast doubt on the possibility of a deal between Iran and the U.S. over the two countries’ war shortly before President Trump announced a deal has been reached on Sunday. “My concern right now is not with the intentions of the president. Look, I think the president has earned a [...]
UFC takes over White House lawn for seven-fight cardThe stratospheric rise of the UFC’s Dana WhiteUFC to pay fighters in crypto from Trump companyReach out to Bryan on Bluesky or by emailThe most dangerous opponent on the card may prove to be the weather radar. Thunderstorms remain in the forecast over Washington, with a 60% chance of rain, heavy downpours and wind gusts approaching 34mph threatening to disrupt tonight’s festivities. While the canopy should keep the octagon dry, UFC officials will be monitoring lightning closely. A single strike within eight miles of the venue would trigger an automatic 30-minute suspension of the event.The Weather Channel highlighted the meteorological challenges earlier on Sunday, warning that oppressive humidity, triple-digit heat indices and even swarms of mosquitoes and gnats could complicate proceedings alongside the threat of thunderstorms. Continue reading...
President Trump and Pakistan's prime minister announced Sunday night that the U.S. and Iran had completed a deal to end fighting in the Middle East. Mr. Trump also said the U.S. blockade on the Strait of Hormuz would end immediately. Olivia Gazis reports.
President Trump announces U.S.-Iran peace deal, authorizing the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and removal of the naval blockade with a signing set for Friday.