President Donald Trump has put himself in a "weak" position in his war against Iran, the conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board wrote in an analysis published on Wednesday."For nine weeks, the cease-fire has let Iran dictate events in the Gulf," wrote the board. The way things have progressed, they argued, Iran itself "gets to start each 'skirmish' — shooting at U.S. forces, U.S. allies, or commercial ships — and then decide when the exchange ends," all while attacking Israel through its Hezbollah proxies in Lebanon and using the conflict there as "an excuse to stall talks with the U.S."Through all this, the board wrote, Trump has downplayed Iran's offensives, calling fire on U.S. troops "a trifle," an Iranian bombing of a Kuwaiti airport “not a big deal,” and even saying something almost identical about the Iranian downing of an Apache helicopter.Ultimately, wrote the board, "Mr. Trump limited Israel’s strikes and previewed his own in public. When the U.S. says 'proportional,' Iran hears 'weak.' Offering the regime such forward guidance signals that Mr. Trump still fears a return to war" — all of which tells Iran they have wide latitude to continue violating the ceasefire with minimal to no response from the U.S. military."Mr. Trump won’t want to hear it, but he has been dancing to Iran’s tune," the board concluded. "He will have to break from it or go down as losing the war politically despite the early military gains."This comes as the latest round of talks to resolve the war fail, and new economic data shows inflation surging again as the Strait of Hormuz and much of the world's oil shipping remain blocked.
Spencer Pratt's LA mayoral bid surged on Election Day, only to be reversed as California's entrenched political machine reshaped the final count after the vote.
From Spencer Pratt to Mayor Michael Rapaport?All eyes have been on Spencer Pratt, the reality show alum vying to wrest the City of Angels from Mayor Karen Bass.While Pratt promoted his family-man brand, Rapaport lives for the social media scrum.Pratt’s insurgent campaign was felt from coast to coast. Now, as L.A.’s curious voting system seems to have sent him to a third-place finish, another actor turned candidate could take his place.Did Pratt walk so Michael Rapaport could run?'Soft launch'Rapaport is a familiar face from dozens of movies and TV shows since his 1992 film debut in “Zebrahead.” He recently joined Peacock’s “The Traitors,” a reality-show affair hosted by Alan Cumming. His brash persona proved a snug fit for the series, alienating some while bringing fresh friction to the game.And, as he told the Hollywood Reporter in January, the show was part of his “soft launch” to unseat New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.I think that if you can have a mayor of New York who is a failed rapper, a failed actor, a failed music supervisor and who’s rapped and said so many regrettable things that he did … if nothing else, I have shown once again, especially on "Traitors," that I am what you see and you’ll get an honest mayor.Pratt didn’t lean on MAGA messaging or GOP-friendly talking points in his campaign. He played the outsider, a man motivated by losing his home in the Palisades fires and demanding that the person who let it happen be held accountable.For Rapaport, Mamdani’s socialist policies and perceived animosity toward Jewish New Yorkers sparked his campaign, not any Republican fervor.Accidental politiciansCall them accidental politicians. The facts on the ground made them do it. Rapaport explained his change of heart to Fox News."I never thought that I would even consider running for mayor of New York City, and I will do it with the best intentions.”Rapaport leans to the left, but he has defied some of his party’s groupthink, particularly when it comes to his strong support of Israel.Pratt and Rapaport share a grasp not just of social media but of media training in general. They have been around cameras for years, aware of the power video brings and how to weaponize it for a cause.We’ve seen Pratt leverage those viral campaign videos, playing the frazzled Everyman eager to save his hometown. Rapaport, a trained comic in addition to his acting experience, could do the same.Rapaport has some advantages over Pratt. He announced his campaign years before any voting happens, as opposed to Pratt's abrupt decision. That gives Rapaport time to build his base, criticize Mamdani in real time, and let New Yorkers see what a democratic socialist can do to the Big Apple.Rapaport is betting they won’t like the results.RELATED: Trump DOJ opens multiple investigations into possible election fraud in California L-R: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images; ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty ImagesSharp elbowsPlus, Rapaport isn’t merely a reality show villain like Pratt, with all the baggage that entails. He has delivered memorable performances on FX’s “Justified” and Netflix’s “Atypical,” plus classic films like “Beautiful Girls,” “True Romance,” and “Cop Land.”The veteran actor recently segued back to comedy, appearing in clubs across the country with a genuinely funny set built around his garrulous persona.The downsides for the New York native, beyond the fear that he’s another actor playing the part of political savior? Rapaport throws plenty of sharp elbows on social media and podcasts. He famously teed off on President Donald Trump a few years ago, a potential boost to his New York candidacy.But he softened that stance considerably post-October 7, re-evaluating the president’s policies and the lies spread in the media. That speaks to his maturation, but it might not play well in a cobalt blue city.Relishing a fightWhile Pratt promoted his family-man brand, Rapaport lives for the social media scrum. He’s naturally combative, willing to muck it up about sports, culture, and politics on any platform possible.His “I Am Rapaport: Stereo Podcast” lets him weigh in on the New York Knicks, free speech, and much more. Here’s betting Team Mamdani will be combing through past episodes for potentially damaging material.And they just might find some.Pratt proved competitive in his upstart campaign, and even if the vote totals keep him in third place, he still gave the Democratic establishment a major scare.Could Rapaport learn from Pratt’s bold run and write his own Hollywood ending?
The NRSC warns Republicans that scandal-plagued Democrat Graham Platner remains a credible threat to Sen. Susan Collins in Maine's pivotal Senate race.
Many in the black community have responded negatively to the verdict in the Karmelo Anthony murder trial, but few have reacted as poorly as Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas did.Anthony was found guilty Tuesday of murdering 17-year-old high school star athlete Austin Metcalf at a track meet in Frisco, Texas, last year. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison.'It's impossible to have a conversation with people who live in this level of delusion and perpetual fake victimhood.' The case sparked a bitter debate on social media as some suggested that Anthony was prosecuted unfairly because he is black and the victim was white.Crockett went even further to insult the parents of Austin Metcalf in order to inflame her fans and supporters."Black women, especially black women who have black male children, live in fear and agony every single day, a fear and agony that, I promise you, the Metcalfs probably never spend a day living that way," she said."We're gonna have to have just some real conversations about race in this country," she added, "but also just, like, what are we going to do to protect ourselves."Crockett made the comments on her livestream show, "Clock It with Crockett," which can be viewed on her YouTube channel.The snippet of her downplaying the Metcalf family's pain was posted to social media, where many reacted with rancor."Idolizing skin color has completely robbed you of common sense and decency. How dare you compare just being a black woman to the horror of losing a child," Shemeka Michelle replied."Jasmine Crockett believes the mere existence of black women in America is more painful than a white family watching their son murdered and living with that reality. It's impossible to have a conversation with people who live in this level of delusion and perpetual fake victimhood," T.J. Moe responded.RELATED: Jasmine Crockett calls Trump a 'piece of s**t' during rant at left-wing rally "This is disgusting! They lost their son. They look at their remaining son and see what their dead child would look like if he had a chance to age with him. Can she imagine that?" another user replied.Crockett failed to secure the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat for Texas after running in order to punish Republicans for redistricting the state.She was beaten by Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, who is now running against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) in the pivotal race that could determine control of the Senate.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
President Trump on Wednesday blasted California's elections again, noting that Trump-Endorsed gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton nearly got robbed like Republican Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt. "The only reason he got approved," Trump said of Hilton, is because "there was too much heat on 'em." Hilton was projected to advance to the November gubernatorial election on Monday night, the same night that Democrat mayoral candidate Nithya Raman took a massive lead over Spencer Pratt, securing her spot in the November mayoral election.
The post (VIDEO) “They’re Cheating Dogs” – Trump Calls Out Rigged California Elections, Says There Was “Too Much Heat” to Rob Steve Hilton appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
President Trump ripped into Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner on Wednesday, calling him a “low-level thug.” “He’s worse than any human being that’s ever run for office probably,” the president said. Platner, a progressive oyster farmer, easily won the Democratic primary on Tuesday to become the party’s candidate to face incumbent Republican Susan Collins.…
Progressive Democrat Graham Platner won the party’s Senate primary in Maine after a bruising campaign which became as much about accusations of his past misbehavior as it was voters’ top concerns. Tyler Kendall has more (Source: Bloomberg)
