Art of the Deal that Reset the World

Doug Ross @ Journal  

"Let’s do a quick recap for the folks in the cheap seats. The Panicans said it was reckless. Wrong. They said it would start a war. Wrong. They said there was no plan. Wrong. They said Trump was in over his head. Spectacularly wrong. At some point, being wrong this consistently stops being a mistake and starts being a lifestyle." . . . 

"On April 7, 2026, a ceasefire with Iran went into effect — and somewhere, an entire army of blue-check foreign policy experts quietly deleted their “This is how World War III starts” threads. While the Panicans were hyperventilating into their New Yorker tote bags, Trump was running the same playbook he’s used since the ‘80s. Pressure, escalation, leverage, deal. It wasn’t a secret. He literally wrote a book about it. But reading is hard when you’re too busy doom-scrolling and writing “we’re all gonna die” in a group chat full of people who think The View is news. The ceasefire is real. The Strait is reopening. And the Panicans owe everyone an apology they’ll never give — because admitting they were wrong would require a level of self-awareness they haven’t unlocked yet.

"Trump has been running this same move since before most of these pundits had Twitter accounts, and they still fell for it. Every. Single. Time. He did it with China on trade — “Oh no, tariffs will destroy us!” Deal. He did it with North Korea — “He’s going to nuke Guam!” Summit. He did it with the USMCA — “NAFTA is sacred!” Signed. And now Iran — “He’s a madman, this is catastrophic!” Ceasefire. At this point, falling for the panic is like being the guy who gets Charlie Brown’d by the football for the 40th time and still blames the football. The Panicans had months to recognize the pattern. A toddler with a memory could’ve called this. But instead, they spent every night on cable news looking directly into a camera and being wrong with absolute confidence. That takes talent. The wrong kind — but talent nonetheless." . . .

. . . "Now here’s where it gets really fun — because the ceasefire isn’t just a Middle East story, and the Panicans have no idea what’s coming next. The Strait of Hormuz is reopening, which means twenty percent of the world’s oil is no longer held hostage by a regime that doesn’t exist anymore. Whoops. Russia and Ukraine are getting dragged toward a real negotiation because the U.S. just showed the entire planet what happens when it actually commits. China is looking at Taiwan and doing math it doesn’t like. And across the Middle East, countries that couldn’t agree on what day it was are suddenly standing in a line together (remember “The Board of Peace”?). Meanwhile, the “experts” who said none of this was possible are now pivoting to “well, anyone could have done this” — which is hilarious, because they had eight years under Obama and four under Biden to try, and the best they managed was pallets of cash, a nuclear-armed terror state and a participation trophy. Phase 2 is the homecoming: immigration, housing, AI, infrastructure, space. The adults are back at the table. The Panicans can take a seat — preferably in the back, where we can’t hear them." . . .More...

Larry Kudlow: Once again President Trump outwits the defeatist Democrats

"One of the many faults with today’s Democratic party is they don’t know how to win. They are defeatists. They find themselves on the wrong side of all kinds of 80-20 issues, like open borders, defending illegal criminals, waste, fraud, and abuse corruption, tax hikes, and men in women’s locker rooms. Now, here they go once again badmouthing President Trump’s tremendous victory in Operation Epic Fury, that absolutely crushed Iran in only 38 days. These defeatist Democrats now want to limit the commander in chief’s foreign policy powers, at almost exactly the moment where Mr. Trump, and our mighty military, and American patriots everywhere have scored a tremendous victory.

"Is the war over? I think it basically is. There may be more hostilities, but we’re on the one-yard line. Let’s wait and see. Mr. Trump will never cut a bad deal. He has opened the Strait of Hormuz to take the pressure off energy prices. And he’s keeping all the American military forces in place in the Middle East, just to make sure a badly defeated Iran makes a peace deal. They may misbehave, and more bombing will occur. If they don’t agree to turning over the enriched uranium to America, then more bombing may be necessary. Ditto for their missile programs. Ditto if they keep bombing our Gulf allies." . . .

Trump Confounds Critics Again; Trump threatens devastation, then pivots to diplomacy.

 The American Spectator | USA News and Politics

"As in most wars, there is likely no perfect solution. But, Cohen writes, the war “is not the catastrophe that some make it out to be, nor is the United States stuck in a quagmire.” Iran’s threat to the region has been scaled-back. Any solution — military or negotiated — is likely to be temporary — that is the way international relations usually work" 

"President Donald Trump has once again confounded his many critics by agreeing to a two-week ceasefire in the war against Iran, after threatening to bomb Iran back to the Stone Age and end a civilization.

"On the right, former Trump supporter and former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said that Trump had gone “insane.” Andrew Day in The American Conservative suggested that Trump might use nuclear weapons against Iran. Bruce Fein characterized Trump’s attacks on Iran as “unconstitutional” and “criminal.” Steven Simon in Responsible Statecraft accused Trump of threatening genocide in Iran. (RELATED: The Real Risk to Trump’s Coalition Over Iran)

"On the left, Sen. Chuck Schumer said Trump resembled “an unhinged madman.” Sen. Bernie Sanders called Trump “dangerous and mentally unbalanced.” Representative Ro Khanna accused Trump of “threatening war crimes.” Charlie Savage in the New York Times called Trump’s threats “self-incriminating statements” for a future war crimes trial. Some critics have suggested invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. 

"Trump’s threat was to bomb Iran’s infrastructure — bridges, desalination plants, power plants. These are the kinds of targets that were routinely bombed during World War II, yet Trump’s critics claim that deliberately striking them would be a war crime. All of those targets affect Iran’s ability to make war. Judged by this standard, Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman were war criminals — after all, they oversaw and countenanced the deliberate bombing of civilians in Germany and Japan. (RELATED: Trump: A Real Commander-in-Chief)

Trump Confounds Critics Again | . . . 

. . . "Writing in Foreign Policy, hardly a MAGA journal, Rand strategic analyst Raphael Cohen takes a more balanced and less unhinged view of the progress of the Iran war than Trump’s many critics. Cohen writes that the Iran war is not a “debacle,” rather it is a “dilemma” like all wars. Operationally, he writes, the war is going reasonably well, noting that the U.S. and Israel “have made significant progress toward achieving [their] objectives” of destroying Iran’s missiles and missile industry, destroying Iran’s navy, degrading Iran’s proxy network, and further degrading Iran’s ability to obtain a nuclear weapon. Diplomatically, the Gulf states have sided with the U.S. and Israel against Iran." . . . More...

Iranian villagers protect downed U.S. airman, while lefty Europeans root for his capture

  Monica Showalter

 "There are reports that the downed F-15 pilot in Iran was sheltered by heroic villagers in Yasuj’s Kakan region before US Special Forces arrived. 20 of those villagers have been kidnapped by the regime for aiding the American pilot."

 AI generated fake  image shows pilot captured by Iranians

"It's an upside-down world when Iranian villagers seek to protect U.S. servicemen from Iran's mullah regime, while our purported European allies root for his capture.

That really happened with the recent incident regarding a downed U.S. airman whose case for rescue was made that much more dangerous by a leaker on the U.S. side, who alerted the Iranian goons of his presence on Iranian soil and got them hunting for him.

But the news was not all bad. Something unexpected happened -- in a spontaneous gesture, the Iranian villagers rushed in to protect him from capture by the Revolutionary Guard goons who were looking for him to capture. It was not without risk -- some may die as a result with angry mullah goons now looking for them. But it was the price of freedom, a price they were willing to pay." . . .More...

Iranian villagers protect downed U.S. airman, while lefty Europeans root for his capture - A CROOKED PATH

"I just hope the brave Iranian villagers get some kind of recognition from the U.S. when in the end, they are liberated, while the Europeans learn the hard way about wishing ill on an ally."  Remember Vichy France: a Puppet Government or a Willing Nazi Collaborator?

"It’s an upside-down world when Iranian villagers seek to protect U.S. servicemen from Iran’s mullah regime, while our purported European allies root for his capture.

"That really happened with the recent incident regarding a downed U.S. airman whose case for rescue was made that much more dangerous by a leaker on the U.S. side, who alerted the Iranian goons of his presence on Iranian soil and got them hunting for him.

"But the news was not all bad. Something unexpected happened — in a spontaneous gesture, the Iranian villagers rushed in to protect him from capture by the Revolutionary Guard goons who were looking for him to capture. It was not without risk — some may die as a result with angry mullah goons now looking for them. But it was the price of freedom, a price they were willing to pay." . . . More ...

Democrats pitch Eric Swalwell over the side in California governor's race, with sex harassment allegations rolling out of the woodwork

 Monica Showalter

"The thing about all these Eric Swalwell revelations is that ALL of them were known for years. But the media worked with the Democrat establishment to keep them quiet as long as Swalwell was useful." Councilwoman Vickie Paladino

"When Democrats want to get rid of someone, they wheel out the women with sexual harassment allegations. Apparently, so many of them do it it's become part of a playbook for ridding the party of liabilities, often about other matters."

"It happened to Elliott Spitzer.

"It took down Andrew Cuomo.

"Now, it's Eric Swalwell's turn.

"According to the Daily Caller:

A Democratic activist says she is working with multiple women preparing to come forward with sexual harassment allegations against California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell.

 

Cheyenne Hunt — a lawyer, one-time congressional candidate and executive director of Gen-Z for Change — revealed that she has been working with an unspecified number of women set to accuse Swalwell in multiple X posts early Monday morning. Swalwell is currently a leading candidate in the crowded race to succeed Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

 

“I got involved because the first victim who approached me is a close friend, but when I saw that there were others who’s experiences fit the same pattern of manipulation and abuse of power, I knew I couldn’t stay silent,” Hunt wrote in her X thread. She specified that the allegations concern “DMs [direct messages] and Snapchat messages” and range “from uncomfortable comments to potentially criminal conduct.”

"Well, ahem. Seems a lot of this was already known, but the press and the political establishment covered for him. That enabled him to do it again and again, shielded not just by the press and the abundant non-disclosure agreements he forced complainants to sign, but by the entire Democrat power establishment, which kept all the secrets. The Daily Caller report said 'dozens.'

"How much were the taxpayers forced to shell out for the silence of these dozens in the lawsuits that inevitably followed? We know that Congress has been forced to shell out $18 million in claims of this nature. Did the cash come from Swalwell campaign funds or did the kind of money corporations pay for 'consulting' pay them off? And are Swalwell's financial problems a function of these payouts to all these female accusers? Was Swalwell the worst of them? Questions abound." . . .More...

Senate GOP Needs New Leadership

John Thune’s leadership is turning a Republican majority into a graveyard for President Trump’s agenda.

The American Spectator | USA News and Politics  

"It’s becoming increasingly obvious that, despite a 53-47 Republican majority, the U.S. Senate is a graveyard for President Trump’s agenda. This is largely the fault of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), who has never been a strong supporter of the President. Despite this, most Republicans hoped that Thune would work to advance Trump’s priorities, particularly after his decisive 2024 victory provided the momentum for the GOP to retake the Senate. But Thune’s refusal to get the SAVE America Act passed and his surrender to the Democrats on DHS funding — without additional money for ICE or CPB — dashed any hope that this man has the right stuff to be Senate Majority Leader.

"President Trump and House Republicans have tried to be patient with Thune’s inertia, but that is over with. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who has done everything in his power to work with the Majority Leader on the SAVE America Act, sent a clear signal to him during a Fox News interview with Kayleigh McEnany on Saturday: “If you don’t want to fight fires, don’t become a firefighter. If you don’t want to take grueling votes at difficult hours and sometimes have to work longer than you want to, then maybe you shouldn’t become a United States Senator.” Also on Fox News, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) was far more explicit about how Senator Thune should be dealt with:" . . .

"As Senator Mike Lee wrote Friday, “The Senate GOP has exactly two options if it wants to avoid drifting into irrelevance and a stunning loss in November: (1) Keep the filibuster and 60-vote cloture rule fully intact, but stand ready to overcome Senate Democrats’ unprecedented pattern of obstruction by aggressively enforcing the ‘talking filibuster,’ a move that would require senators to work longer, harder hours and take fewer recesses, but lead to more thoughtful, careful deliberation in the legislative process, OR (2) Nuke the filibuster.”

Obviously, the leadership in the Senate — and that’s on both sides of the aisle — has a real disgust for this President and House leadership because they didn’t even have the guts to call speaker Mike Johnson and let him know what happened … The stereotype of Congress is, and it’s well deserved, is that we pass stuff in the dark of night because we don’t have any guts, and that’s clearly what’s shown in the Senate leadership. I think they need to get some new leadership over there, in my opinion.  More...

Pam Bondi Is Gone—Because Working On It Wasn’t Enough -

 Victory Girls Blog  

"Maybe Bondi was stuck in an untenable position for what the job entailed, but her biggest problem, one government watchdog says, was her inability to run a tenacious prosecution operation that would send a clear message to the leftist lawfare crowd. – The Federalist"

"Pam Bondi is out, and the reason isn’t hard to figure out. The job called for action, and what people saw didn’t match the moment. Voters sent Donald Trump back to Washington with a very specific expectation: stop talking and start moving.

"That didn’t happen. Now the focus turns to what comes next, and more importantly, who will do the job the way people expected.

"Donald Trump handled the firing the Washington way. He offered kind words, gave a respectful sendoff, and kept things calm on the surface. He praised Pam Bondi on the way out. But that doesn’t change what drove this decision. Results. Or more accurately, the lack of them.

"For months, there was a growing sense that the Department of Justice wasn’t moving with urgency. The tone felt cautious, at best, and the pace was slow. In a role like Attorney General, that stands out quickly. And in Pam’s case, it most certainly did." . . .

. . . "Look at past Attorneys General. Agree with them or not, they acted.

"Eric Holder pushed forward aggressively on the priorities of the Obama administration. Loretta Lynch continued in that same direction. Under Merrick Garland, the DOJ moved decisively on January 6-related prosecutions.

"You can debate those decisions all day long. People do. But the one thing you can’t say is that nothing happened.

"That’s the difference. The DOJ was being used to push left-leaning priorities that worked against conservative policies.

"For now, the role lands in Todd Blanche’s lap as Acting Attorney General, taking over the Department of Justice while the bigger question of a permanent replacement is still up in the air." . . .

"If You’re Looking for a Fighter, Start Here  If the goal is to put someone in that role who won’t sit back and wait, some names come to mind. One of them is Jeanine Pirro.

At last! Dianny's Ten Most Tiresome People of 2025

 Diann Russell  

"I can’t imagine being so greedy and venal that I would be willing to blame the Jews for everything just to earn a big, fat paycheck from Qatar. Then again, I have a conscience and have never entertained the idea of becoming someone else’s bitch. Not everyone can say that."

4. Gavin Newsom  "I recently saw a poll that ranked California Governor Gavin Newsom at the top of the pile of likely 2028 Democrat nominees. Newsom spent all of 2025 in a flurry of self-promotion, all with an eye on 2028. He hired a social media “team” that consisted of a dweebie gay boi who proceeded to post cringey, stupid schlock on Twitter attacking Donald Trump while pretending to be Gavin Newsom.

"I referred to it as Newsom’s “Too-Online Campaign of Cringe:”

The Democrat media loves Dweebie’s work in much the same way they loved Kamala’s “Brat” summer. According to the media, Dweebie’s social media posts are proof that Gavin Newsom is the one Democrat fighting back against Trump.

Really?

If your idea of “fighting back” is sneaking up behind Trump and putting a “KICK ME” sign on his back, or scrawling “TRUMP IS A POOPIE HEAD” on the bathroom stall, then, sure, insipid, try-too-hard tweets pretending to be Newsom pretending to be Trump can be considered “fighting back.”

"For the life of me, I do not understand why politicians insist on taking the juvenile, petulant, “look at me” approach to everything they say or do. It doesn’t make them look relatable. Instead, they look like spoiled, immature prats, and frankly, I find it tiresome." . More.... .

Sweet Merciful Zeus - Musings from Dianny is a reader-supported publication.

Europe On The Verge Of Surrender To Islam

 Janet Levy - American Thinker  

"A culture shaped by the Enlightenment cannot be overrun by a medieval culture that refuses to change. Using Durant’s words, Europe must prevent its cultural self-destruction caused by Islam taking root. This may be Europe’s last chance to save itself."

"Explaining the decline of the Roman Empire in The Story of Civilization, Will Durant wrote: “A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself within.” The same could become true of the European Union (EU) in the 21st century. Postmodern illusions of a benign and righteous multiculturalism are allowing Islamist ideology—which has no reservations about its supremacist ambitions—to spread its roots with unprecedented virulence.

"Consider how a guilt-shame complex fostered by leftist academia in institutions, the media, and the public is eroding the Judeo-Christian ethos. Christmas is no longer Christmas but some silly secular celebration like ‘Winter Journey’ or ‘Destination Beautiful Winter,’ while ‘Merry Christmas’ is being replaced by ‘Happy Winter.’ In the U.S., France, Spain, Germany, and beyond, governments, schools, and media outlets have diminished, canceled, or sanitized Judeo-Christian festivals and done away with Christian symbols, lights, and even traditional songs.

"At the same time, Islam is permitted a loud and visible presence. Ramadan celebrations are happening more often at iconic locations and major government buildings. Iftar prayers are increasingly being held in public spaces rather than in mosques. Belgium, for example, organized the longest iftar dinner—2 km long, crossing multiple communities, and serving over 8,000 guests. The adhan, which proclaims there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His messenger, echoes from loudspeakers, asserting Islamic dominance and rejecting all other religions, to which such accommodations are outright denied." . . .

More...

Surviving Iran: The Insane F-15 Rescue Mission Explained

AiTelly

I'm sure this will be resented and condemned by the same crowd that calls Jews "Nazis". TD

U.S. Just Did Something BRUTAL To Rescue F-15 Pilots... Now IRGC's Trap BACKFIRED

The Iran Rescue: The Payoff of Painful Lessons | The American Spectator | USA News and Politics

. . . "The same people, both abroad and in this country, who’ve tried at every turn to view this undertaking as a disaster would have been rewarded. Instead, they’ve been reduced to carping about lost aircraft rather than rejoicing at the rescue of American servicemen. One of the saddest aspects of the current situation has been the evident desire of so many to see our efforts meet with failure, not so much out of principled criticism, but more from the fear of American success.

"These haters would have been rewarded. Instead, they have been, at least for the moment, embarrassed into silence. Perhaps therein lies the largest message of all, namely that Americans need not be the prisoners of past failures, that we know how to learn, to grow, and to overcome all manner of challenges.

"And this, in spades, is what our special operators just demonstrated."

The story behind the daring rescue of US airman behind enemy lines...

Revolver News  

"When the news first broke that two American airmen had gone down after Iranian forces shot them down, it felt like a gut punch. Thankfully, one was recovered quickly, which gave people a little room to breathe, but the other guy was still out there, alone, behind enemy lines, somewhere in hostile territory with the clock ticking.

"When an American serviceman is stranded in enemy country, every single minute matters. And what made this situation even scarier is that while our military is racing one way, the enemy is racing the other. We were trying to get to our man first. The Iranians were trying to do the exact same thing.

"For what seemed like a lifetime, Americans were left wondering whether this would end in heartbreak or one of those ghastly online executions we’d see during the Gulf War. But thankfully, we didn’t have to worry for too long. Because on Easter Sunday, the message came through. We got our guy back.

"President Trump published a post, telling the country that against the odds, after all the uncertainty and danger, an American serviceman had been pulled out alive.

“WE GOT HIM! My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History, for one of our incredible Crew Office Members, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I am thrilled to let you know is SAFE and SOUND!” – President Donald J. Trump 

Democrats after finding out the pilot is safe: pic.twitter.com/xt8VMh1XV1

— Rapidsloth (@Rapidsloth_) April 5, 2026

The White House:

  “WE GOT HIM! My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History, for one of our incredible Crew Office Members, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I am thrilled to let you know is SAFE and SOUND!” – President Donald J. Trump 

. . . "And suddenly what felt like a nightmare turned into one of the most remarkable rescue stories ever.

"What went on behind the scenes to make sure that stranded airman did not fall into enemy hands before America could reach him is remarkable.

"But big kudos to the pilot. He knew exactly what to do when everything went ugly. In the middle of chaos, he did what he was trained to do, and that gave our military the time and space it needed to bring him home.

"And suddenly what felt like a nightmare turned into one of the most remarkable rescue stories ever.

"What went on behind the scenes to make sure that stranded airman did not fall into enemy hands before America could reach him is remarkable.

"But big kudos to the pilot. He knew exactly what to do when everything went ugly. In the middle of chaos, he did what he was trained to do, and that gave our military the time and space it needed to bring him home." . . .

Texas Democratic Party Joins with the Soros-Backed Texas Majority PAC to Launch “Blue Texas”

 Beware of all the Californians moving to Texas. Tunnel Dweller included.

AfterMath - Home

Soros to Continue Massive Texas Spending - The Texas Voice.   

• The Soros-funded Texas Majority PAC has teamed with the Texas Democratic Party for an initiative called “Blue Texas”
• Soros and political committees associated with him spent over $14 million in Texas during the 2024 election cycle
• Texans for Lawsuit Reform and its sister organization, the Judicial Fairness PAC, led the way in spending to assist Republicans in the 2024 general election, spending over $25.5 million

"New York-based leftist megadonor George Soros appears to be gearing up to spend big in Texas once again in 2026 with the launch of the “Blue Texas” initiative by the Texas Democratic Party and the Soros-funded Texas Majority PAC. 

"According to campaign finance data from the Texas Ethics Commission, Soros personally donated over $10.6 million to Democratic Party organizations and left-wing political action committees in Texas during the 2024 election cycle, $6.45 million of which went to the Texas Majority PAC. Soros has also given the Texas Majority PAC at least $1 million so far this year. 

"In addition to Soros’ personal contributions, national political committees tied to Soros, such as Democracy PAC, Democracy PAC II, and AB PAC, also spent significant sums in Texas during the 2024 election cycle. Democracy PAC donated $200,000 to the Texas Democratic Party last year, while Democracy PAC II donated $750,000 to the Texas Majority PAC and $600,000 to the First Tuesday PAC during the 2024 election cycle. AB PAC donated $2.175 million to the Texas Majority PAC last year. 

"These figures likely only reflect a portion of Soros’ spending to influence elections in Texas, as he is widely known to be a major donor to a variety of leftist non-profit organizations that are not required to disclose contributions." . . .   More here: Soros to Continue Massive Texas Spending - The Texas Voice

Cheering for the Enemy

 J.R. Dunn - American Thinker  

"Media hysteria over the downing of a single U.S. aircraft has become a commonplace schtick in coverage of American wars over the past three decades."

. . . "The most recent incident before this weekend involved an F-35 Lightning II, a much more advanced stealth fighter, which was struck by Iranian antiaircraft on March 19. Although widely reported to have been shot down, the plane was only damaged and succeeded in flying back to a friendly airfield.

"Once again, the wails arose from medialand: stealth was history, the Iranians had our number, etc., etc. In truth, the plane had been hit by a heat-seeking missile and not by a radar homer at all. Like any other jet aircraft, an F-35 generates a lot of heat, which can be tracked by any infrared seeker. Stealth, which subverts radar, can’t help with that.

"As this piece is being drafted, word has come down that the WSO of the downed F-15 has been rescued by Special Forces troops after a dramatic battle with IRGC forces. A fine gift on this Easter morn.

"Not that the Left, within the media or out, is going to appreciate it. That’s not what they want. They want American aircraft downed by the bushel. They want Navy ships ablaze in the Gulf. They want our troops captured, battered by mobs, and tortured. But if they can’t get that, they’ll do their best with the occasional aircraft downing.

"We haven’t heard the last aircraft shootdown frenzy."   More...