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Erika Kirk Appointed to Air Force Academy Board

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Image via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    President Donald Trump has appointed Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, to the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Board of Visitors, replacing her late husband on the advisory panel.

    The Board of Visitors, which consists of 16 members, provides oversight and recommendations to the Secretary of Defense regarding the academy’s operations. The panel reviews issues such as cadet morale, academic programs, and financial management and submits an annual report on the institution’s performance.

    Erika Kirk’s appointment was not formally announced, but her name recently appeared on the board’s public membership list.

    “Erika is the right person to fill Charlie’s place on the board and continue his work of inspiring the next generation of service members and advancing the academy,” Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas), the board’s chair, told NBC affiliate KOAA. Pfluger said he recommended her appointment months ago.

    “I look forward to working alongside her to carry on Charlie’s legacy,” he added.

    Several lawmakers also serve on the board, including Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.). Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), who Trump has recently selected to serve as the next secretary of Homeland Security, is also a member.

    The Air Force Academy’s Board of Visitors is one of several oversight bodies for the nation’s military academies, including West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy. Members typically include lawmakers, retired military officers, and presidential appointees who provide external perspectives on academy leadership, curriculum, and institutional priorities.

    Trump has moved to appoint a number of political allies and conservative media figures to the boards of visitors for the military academies early in his second term, part of a broader effort to reshape oversight panels that influence the schools’ culture and policies.

    Charlie Kirk, the founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was appointed to the Air Force Academy’s Board of Visitors by Trump in March 2025. He attended one meeting in August before he was assassinated on Sept. 10 during an appearance on the campus of Utah Valley University.

    While serving on the board, Kirk raised concerns about construction delays affecting the Air Force Academy’s chapel renovation project and urged academy leaders to emphasize American exceptionalism in cadet education.

    “It is imperative that these cadets know that we are the greatest nation ever,” Kirk said during board discussions.

    At the time of his death, the 31-year-old activist had become one of the most prominent conservative voices on college campuses through Turning Point USA, an organization that organizes student chapters and events nationwide to promote conservative political ideas.

    Following his death, Erika Kirk assumed the role of chief executive officer at Turning Point USA.

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    House Dem Vows To Continue Impeachment Efforts If Elected

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Rep. Christian Menefee, a Texas Democrat who won a January special election to succeed the late Rep. Sylvester Turner, says he plans to continue efforts to impeach President Donald Trump — a campaign long championed by veteran Rep. Al Green — while arguing he could build broader support for such a move within the Democratic Party.

    Menefee made the remarks as he faces Green in a closely watched Democratic primary runoff that has effectively become a contest between an established anti-Trump figure and a younger lawmaker promising a more strategic approach to the same goal.

    Green, who has represented Texas in Congress for two decades, has repeatedly introduced articles of impeachment against Trump in recent years, framing the issue as a moral and constitutional test for lawmakers. None of those attempts have succeeded in advancing through the House.

    Menefee told Fox News Digital that if elected, he would continue pursuing impeachment but would focus on coordinating with fellow Democrats to ensure any effort has enough backing to move forward.

    “I’m the candidate in this race who has a track record of standing up for my community, of fighting back and doing so effectively in a way that gets things done,” Menefee said in an interview.

    He added that his approach would prioritize building consensus within the Democratic caucus before formally introducing impeachment articles.

    “My approach is going to be, when I file articles of impeachment, my goal is for them to either pass or to get very close to passing,” Menefee said.

    “That means collaborating with the other members of the Democratic caucus to make sure that it’s going to be effective. My approach is generally, if I start something, I am doing it because I want to ultimately take it across the finish line in a way that’s going to actually help people.”

    The debate over impeachment comes as Menefee and Green compete for the Democratic nomination in Texas’ 18th Congressional District. Menefee entered Congress earlier this year after winning a special election following the death of longtime Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner in March 2025.

    The two Democrats were placed on a political collision course after Republican-led redistricting plans in Texas reshaped several congressional districts and threatened multiple Democratic-held seats. Green subsequently announced he would seek reelection in the 18th District — the same seat Menefee now holds.

    While Menefee declined to directly criticize Green’s impeachment strategy, he suggested his own approach would focus less on symbolic votes and more on building support within the party.

    Green’s most recent impeachment effort, introduced in December 2025, drew support from 140 House Democrats. However, the measure failed to advance after 23 Democrats joined Republicans in voting to table it, while another 47 voted “present.”

    Green has long made opposition to Trump a central theme of his congressional career, frequently calling for impeachment and framing the issue as a question of constitutional accountability.

    “We have to participate. This is a participatory democracy. The impeachment requires the hands and the guidance of all of us,” Green said in November 2025 while announcing his latest impeachment push.

    The congressman has also drawn national attention during presidential addresses to Congress. In 2026 he was removed from President Trump’s State of the Union address after displaying a sign that read, “Black people aren’t apes.” The year before, during the 2025 State of the Union, Green was escorted out after refusing to take his seat while waving his cane toward the president in protest.

    Despite their shared opposition to Trump, Menefee has attempted to distinguish himself by emphasizing unity within the Democratic caucus and a pragmatic legislative strategy rather than what some critics have described as Green’s more confrontational style.

    Neither candidate secured a majority in the district’s Democratic primary earlier this month, forcing the race into a runoff election scheduled for May 26. The outcome will determine which Democrat advances to represent one of Houston’s most prominent Democratic strongholds in Congress — and which approach to confronting Trump voters in the district prefer.

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    Judge Blocks Fani Willis From Fighting Multi-Million Legal Fee Demand In Trump Case

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Image via Pixabay free images

    A Fulton County, Georgia, judge ruled Monday that District Attorney Fani Willis cannot participate in a legal dispute over President Donald Trump and his co-defendants’ efforts to recover millions of dollars in legal fees from her failed racketeering case against them.

    In an order issued Monday, Judge Scott McAfee said that because Willis had already been “wholly disqualified” from the prosecution, she could not take part in the dispute over approximately $16.8 million in legal fees sought by Trump and the other defendants. Earlier this year, Trump requested that Willis’ office reimburse him more than $6.2 million in attorney fees and related costs.

    McAfee’s ruling marks another victory for Trump in his long-running conflict with Willis, whom he previously described as a “rabid partisan” engaged in a “witch hunt” during the prosecution.

    The defendants—who were originally charged by Willis with conspiring to illegally overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia—are seeking reimbursement under a state law passed in 2025. The law allows defendants to recover legal fees in cases where prosecutors are disqualified.

    In his ruling, McAfee noted that Fulton County itself could become involved in the matter, since any reimbursement would come from the county’s budget. However, Willis’ attorneys argued in court filings that she should still be allowed to participate in the proceedings.

    “Without intervention by the District Attorney, any award would violate basic fundamental notions of due process by denying her an opportunity to be heard or even challenge the reasonableness of the claimed attorney fees before it is taken from her budget,” the lawyers wrote.

    Trump’s lead attorney, Steve Sadow, praised the decision in a statement.

    “Judge McAfee has properly denied DA Willis’ motion to intervene in POTUS’ action for reimbursement of attorney fees because her disqualification for improper conduct bars Willis and her office from any further participation in this dismissed, lawfare case,” Sadow said.

    Willis originally brought a sweeping Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) case against Trump and 18 co-defendants in August 2023. Prosecutors alleged that the group conspired to interfere with Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. Over time, however, the case narrowed significantly due to plea deals and the dismissal of several charges.

    The most significant setback for the prosecution came in 2024, when the Georgia Court of Appeals disqualified Willis from the case. The court determined that an undisclosed romantic relationship between Willis and her lead prosecutor, Nathan Wade, created a conflict of interest.

    Following her disqualification, responsibility for the case shifted to the Georgia Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council. The council’s director, Peter Skandalakis, ultimately moved to dismiss the case, and McAfee approved the request.

    “In my professional judgment, the citizens of Georgia are not served by pursuing this case in full for another five to ten years,” Skandalakis said.

    READ NEXT: Megyn Kelly Blasts Lindsey Graham After Senator Threatens 4 Countries In 24 Hours

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    Trump Signals Oil Reserve Release Amid Iran Conflict Price Hike

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    President Donald Trump said Wednesday that his administration will tap the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in an effort to stabilize oil prices that have surged since the start of the U.S.-Israeli military operation in Iran.

    Oil markets have been volatile since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28, with crude prices briefly climbing close to $120 per barrel earlier this week amid fears that the conflict could disrupt global supply. By Wednesday evening, prices had eased somewhat but remained elevated. Brent crude stood at $93.05 per barrel in after-hours trading, about 1.16% higher than its opening price of $91.98, according to Google Finance.

    Speaking to WKRC-TV in Cincinnati during a visit to pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Thermo Fisher Scientific, Trump said the administration would temporarily release oil from the nation’s emergency stockpile to help bring down prices.

    “Well, we’ll do that and then we’ll fill it up,” Trump said. “I filled it up once and I’ll fill it up again, but right now we’ll reduce it a little bit, and that brings the prices down.”

    The move would mirror actions taken by previous administrations during periods of supply disruption or sharply rising fuel costs.

    Earlier Wednesday, the International Energy Agency (IEA) announced that its member countries would collectively release 400 million barrels of oil from emergency reserves, the largest coordinated stockpile release in the organization’s history. The effort is intended to ease global supply concerns following the escalation of fighting in Iran.

    The planned release would more than double the IEA’s previous record drawdown, when member countries placed 182 million barrels on the market in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered a global energy shock.

    The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve — the world’s largest emergency oil stockpile — has also been used repeatedly in recent years to offset price spikes. Former President Joe Biden released nearly 300 million barrels during his administration, including about 180 million barrels over six months in 2022 as the Ukraine war drove fuel prices sharply higher.

    Those releases reduced the reserve to roughly 350 million barrels, its lowest level since 1983, after Trump ended his first term with the SPR holding about 638 million barrels.

    During the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, oil prices briefly collapsed amid a global economic slowdown. Trump at the time directed the Energy Department to purchase 77 million barrels to refill the reserve “to the top,” but Congress — then controlled by Democrats — blocked funding for the purchase.

    Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the new release will begin next week and will take roughly 120 days to deliver to the market.

    Although Trump declared a “national energy emergency” early in 2025 and pledged to replenish the reserve, progress has been slow due to limited congressional funding. The SPR currently holds about 416 million barrels, according to data cited by Fortune.

    Trump said he expects oil prices to fall as additional supply reaches the market.

    “Oil prices will be coming down,” he told reporters during the visit. “That’s just a matter of war, that happens … you can almost predict it.”

    “I would say it went up a little bit less than we thought and it’s going to come down more than anybody understands,” Trump added.

    The Strategic Petroleum Reserve, created after the 1973 oil embargo, is intended to provide emergency supply during major disruptions in global oil markets. Analysts say coordinated releases from the SPR and allied reserves can help calm markets in the short term, though long-term price trends often depend on the duration of geopolitical conflicts and the broader balance between global oil supply and demand.

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    Trump State Department Nominee Withdraws From Consideration

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      0
      By The White House - https://www.flickr.com/photos/202101414@N05/54581054338/, Public Domain,

      President Donald Trump’s nominee for a senior State Department position withdrew his candidacy Tuesday after growing opposition from lawmakers threatened to derail his confirmation.

      Earlier in the day, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Jeremy Carl—Trump’s nominee for assistant secretary of state for international organizations—of having “a long history of racist, white supremacist, and antisemitic views,” arguing that those views disqualified him from serving in the role.

      Carl stepped aside after weeks of scrutiny over past remarks about white identity and American culture, though he maintained that his comments had been misinterpreted.

      “Unfortunately, for senior positions such as this one, the support of the President and Secretary of State is very important but not sufficient,” Carl said in a statement announcing his withdrawal. “We also needed the unanimous support of every GOP senator on the Committee on Foreign Relations, given the unanimous opposition of Senate Democrats to my candidacy, and unfortunately that support was not forthcoming.”

      Carl also defended his previous comments, saying that while he has occasionally used the phrase “white culture” in speeches and writings, his broader concern has been preserving what he described as a shared American civic culture.

      According to Carl, the term referred to cultural traditions widely shared by Americans prior to the 1965 Hart-Celler Immigration Act. He argued that people of all backgrounds can participate in and contribute to those traditions.

      Carl also pushed back against Schumer in a post on X, accusing the New York Democrat of selectively condemning controversial rhetoric when it can be used against Republicans.

      “You appear to only disavow racism, antisemitism and racial supremacy if you think you can use those words as a cudgel to beat Republicans,” Carl wrote, adding that Schumer has not denounced comments he characterized as anti-white from Democratic lawmakers, including Texas House Democratic leader Gene Wu and Rep. Jasmine Crockett.

      Carl faced intense questioning during a Senate confirmation hearing in February over earlier remarks warning about the potential “erasure” of white culture in the United States.

      During the hearing, Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, pressed Carl to explain what values he believed were disappearing and why he believed “white culture” was being erased.

      Carl responded that Murphy had misunderstood his position, reiterating that his comments referred to what he views as a shared civic culture in the United States rather than an exclusionary racial identity. He again argued that Americans of all backgrounds can take part in and help shape that culture.

      FROM THE DESK OF DONALD TRUMP JR. Democrats tried to rig the census by counting millions of illegal immigrants — giving blue states more power in Congress. Now we’re making sure only American citizens are counted. But first, we need to verify our own records. CONFIRM YOUR VOTER INFORMATION NOW.

      Attorney General Pam Bondi Moves to Military Base Housing Amid Threats Linked to Epstein Files

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      1

      U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has relocated to housing on a military base in the Washington, D.C., area after receiving a series of threats tied to her handling of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to a report citing people familiar with the situation.

      The New York Times reported that Bondi moved within the past month from a private apartment to one of several secure military installations where other senior officials in the Trump administration are currently living. The relocation was recommended after federal law enforcement flagged an increase in threats against the attorney general, including some linked to drug cartels and others from critics angered over the Justice Department’s management of the Epstein documents.

      Bondi is not the only administration official residing in protective housing on military bases. Other officials reportedly living at such facilities include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and former Department of Homeland Security head Kristi Noem, who recently lost her position leading the agency.

      A spokesperson for Noem previously told the Times that she pays “fair-market rent” for her military base housing, though some reports have suggested that certain officials may be living there without paying rent.

      According to the report, threats directed at Bondi and her staff increased in recent months, particularly after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who is now facing narco-terrorism charges in the United States. The Justice Department has also faced backlash over the handling and release of Epstein-related documents, which have generated widespread political controversy.

      The Epstein files controversy has intensified since the Justice Department released millions of documents related to the late financier’s sex-trafficking case under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required the government to disclose records connected to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

      Bondi has insisted that the department has made the full set of files public, saying that “all” Epstein documents have been released. But critics, including lawmakers from both parties and survivors of Epstein’s abuse, argue that key materials remain missing or heavily redacted.

      Victims have also criticized the Justice Department for what they say was the mishandling of sensitive information in some of the releases.

      “This latest release of Jeffrey Epstein files is being sold as transparency, but what it actually does is expose survivors,” some victims wrote in a statement. “Once again, survivors are having their names and identifying information exposed, while the men who abused us remain hidden and protected. That is outrageous.”

      The controversy has prompted increasing scrutiny of Bondi’s leadership at the Justice Department. Earlier this month, the House Oversight Committee voted in a bipartisan move to subpoena the attorney general to testify about the department’s handling of the Epstein investigation and the release of the documents.

      Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy financier who socialized with prominent political and business figures, was arrested in 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges involving underage girls. He died in a New York jail while awaiting trial, while his associate Ghislaine Maxwell was later convicted of sex trafficking and sentenced to prison.

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      Report: Suspect Detained After Ramming Car Through White House Gate

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      1

      Secret Service agents are investigating a suspicious vehicle near the White House on Wednesday and detained the driver for questioning.

      Fox News reported that a driver has been detained after crashing a van through a barricade near the White House on Wednesday morning.

      Officers were dispatched to assist Secret Service agents at around 6:37 a.m. on Wednesday after a van drove through a security barricade near the presidential residence, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

      This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

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      Leading GOP Candidate In Georgia Governor’s Race Sues Trump-Backed Opponent

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      0

      Billionaire health care executive Rick Jackson filed a defamation lawsuit Monday against Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, his Republican primary opponent in the state’s 2026 gubernatorial race.

      The lawsuit, filed in Fulton County Superior Court, alleges that Jones made three separate defamatory statements about Jackson on social media over the past week. Jackson’s campaign confirmed the filing Monday morning.

      “Burt Jones is learning real fast that the days of him doing and saying anything for his own benefit are coming to an end,” Jackson campaign spokesman Dave Abrams said in a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation on Monday. “Rick Jackson is holding self-serving politician Burt Jones accountable for his words and his actions.”

      In the complaint, Jackson argues that Jones has resorted to personal attacks rather than campaigning on his own record.

      “Rather than standing on his record, fighting like an honest man, and earning the trust and support of Georgians, Burt Jones is resorting to what he knows best: cheap and dirty politics,” the complaint states.

      Jones’ campaign dismissed the lawsuit and defended the remarks.

      “Rick Jackson’s thin skin is showing,” Kayla Lott, a spokesperson for Jones’ campaign, told the DCNF in a statement Monday. “Why is Rick so embarrassed to have received a billion dollars in state contracts, helped Planned Parenthood recruit, and staff a pediatric doctor’s office that serves ‘transgender patients.’ He should be proud Georgia knows how his company made its money.”

      The dispute centers on a March 5 post by Jones on X, where he claimed Jackson “made his fortune recruiting for Planned Parenthood, helping doctors perform transgender procedures on minors, and pocketed over $1 billion in state contracts on the backs of Georgia taxpayers,” adding “Georgia’s not for sale.”

      The lawsuit escalates an already contentious Republican primary race.

      After launching his campaign relatively late on Feb. 3, Jackson has spent nearly $16 million on advertising—almost six times the amount spent by Jones—according to NBC News, citing data from AdImpact.

      Recent polling suggests Jackson currently leads the GOP field. A JMC Analytics and Polling survey of likely Republican primary voters released Monday found 37% support Jackson, while 22% backed Jones.

      A Quantus Insights poll conducted in February found Jackson leading with 32.6% support among likely GOP primary voters, compared to 16.9% for Jones.

      However, an Emerson College poll released March 5 showed a tighter race. The survey found 21% of voters supporting Jones and 20% backing Jackson.

      The poll also found Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger—known for clashing with Trump over the 2020 presidential election—receiving 11% support, followed by Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr at 6%, while 38% of respondents remained undecided.

      Among voters who said President Donald Trump’s endorsement makes them more likely to support a candidate, Jones led with 31% support compared to Jackson’s 21%, according to the Emerson poll.

      Under Georgia law, if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in the May 19 Republican primary, the top two finishers will advance to a runoff election scheduled for June 16.

      The defamation lawsuit marks the second legal clash between the candidates this year. In February, Jackson and his campaign committee filed a separate lawsuit against Jones challenging a state campaign finance law that Jackson argued gives Jones an unfair advantage in the primary, CBS News reported.

      FROM THE DESK OF DONALD TRUMP JR. Democrats tried to rig the census by counting millions of illegal immigrants — giving blue states more power in Congress. Now we’re making sure only American citizens are counted. But first, we need to verify our own records. CONFIRM YOUR VOTER INFORMATION NOW.

      Senior Iranian Official Issues Deadly Threat To Trump

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      Gage Skidmore Flickr

      A senior Iranian official issued a pointed warning to President Donald Trump on Tuesday, escalating tensions after Iran selected a new supreme leader without consulting the United States and as conflict in the region continues to intensify.

      Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, responded directly to Trump’s recent warnings about Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz.

      “The sacrificial nation of Iran doesn’t fear your empty threats,” Larijani wrote on the social media platform X in a post translated by The Associated Press. “Even those bigger than you couldn’t eliminate Iran. Be careful not to get eliminated yourself.”

      Larijani’s remarks came after Trump issued a stark warning Monday on Truth Social, threatening severe retaliation if Iran interferes with oil shipments passing through the strategic waterway.

      “If Iran does anything that tops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far,” Trump wrote.

      “Additionally, we will take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back, as a Nation, again — Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them — But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen!” he continued. “This is a gift from the United States of America to China, and all of those Nations that heavily use the Hormuz Strait. Hopefully, it is a gesture that will be greatly appreciated.”

      The exchange comes as Iran moves forward with a major leadership transition following the death of longtime supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran’s governing clerical establishment selected his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the country’s new supreme leader — a move that has drawn scrutiny abroad and further strained relations with Washington.

      Trump said he is skeptical that Iran’s new leader will bring stability to the region.

      “I don’t believe he can live in peace,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst.

      Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that the new supreme leader of Iran, “would be wise to heed the words of our president, which is to not pursue nuclear weapons and come out and state as such.”

      The leadership change comes amid a rapidly expanding regional conflict. Iranian forces launched a new wave of attacks Tuesday targeting Israel and several U.S.-aligned Gulf nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain, according to The Associated Press.

      In Bahrain, an Iranian strike on a residential building killed a 29-year-old woman and injured eight others.

      The escalating confrontation follows the U.S.-Israeli joint military campaign against Iranian targets, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, which began Feb. 28 and aimed to dismantle Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons capabilities.

      The conflict has also disrupted global energy markets.

      Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced it would block oil exports from the region in response to the attacks.

      The Guard said it would not “allow the export of even a single liter of oil from the region to the hostile side and its partners until further notice.”

      The threat has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply typically passes through the strait each day, making it one of the most critical energy chokepoints in the world.

      Shipping traffic has slowed dramatically.

      According to monitoring data from hormuzstraitmonitor.com, only two ships passed through the strait in the last 24 hours — far below the typical average of about 60 daily vessels. As of Tuesday, 157 ships remain stranded near the passage, including 98 oil tankers and 34 bulk carriers.

      The disruption has already driven up energy prices.

      West Texas Intermediate crude oil, the benchmark for North American markets, rose to just over $90 per barrel Tuesday morning. The national average price for gasoline in the United States climbed to $3.54 per gallon, according to AAA.

      Trump has defended the military campaign despite the economic fallout, arguing that higher fuel prices are a necessary cost to eliminate Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

      The spike in oil prices is a “very small price to pay,” he said.

      Still, some lawmakers worry the administration may not have fully anticipated the economic consequences.

      Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) criticized the White House for appearing unprepared for the energy market shock.

      “For heaven’s sakes, are you telling me you didn’t game this one out?” she told Punchbowl News last week. “I’m starting to think they didn’t game this one out.”

      With tensions rising and oil markets rattled, the confrontation between Washington and Tehran appears poised to intensify as Iran’s new leadership consolidates power and the U.S. continues its military pressure campaign.

      On Tuesday, Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine told reporters at the Pentagon that Iran is “fighting, and I respect that.”

      “But I don’t think they’re more formidable than what we thought,” he added about Tehran’s defensive capabilities.

      “Our strikes mean we’ve made significant progress in reducing the number of missile and drone attacks out of Iran,” Caine also said. “Ballistic missile attacks continue to trend downward, 90% from where they’ve started, and one-way attack drones have decreased 83%, since the beginning of the operation.”

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      Trump Offers Asylum to Iranian Women’s Soccer Team As International Concerns Grow

      By
      Madeleine Jackson
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      0

      President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States would be willing to grant asylum to members of Iran’s national women’s soccer team after reports emerged that several players feared retaliation if they returned home following the Asian Cup in Australia.

      In a post on Truth Social, Trump warned that the athletes could face severe punishment from Iranian authorities if they are forced back to Iran after being eliminated from the tournament.

      “Australia is making a terrible humanitarian mistake by allowing the Iran National Woman’s Soccer team to be forced back to Iran, where they will most likely be killed,” Trump wrote. “Don’t do it, Mr. Prime Minister, give ASYLUM. The U.S. will take them if you won’t,” continued the president. “Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

      Concerns about the players’ safety escalated after several members of the team reportedly made gestures that were interpreted as protests against the Iranian government.

      According to CNN, “amid fears over their safety, five members of the Iranian women’s soccer squad have left the team’s hotel in Australia and are currently safe with police.”

      The controversy began shortly after the United States and Israel launched a joint military strike on Iranian targets. During a match earlier in the tournament, Iranian players declined to sing their national anthem before kickoff. The team did not publicly explain the decision, but the act was widely interpreted as a symbolic protest against Iran’s ruling authorities.

      Inside Iran, some hardline commentators reportedly labeled the gesture an act of treason.

      In subsequent matches on Thursday and Sunday, the players were seen singing the anthem, reportedly under pressure.

      Tensions grew further after the team’s final match, when protesters surrounded the team bus and called on authorities to protect the players. Witnesses said demonstrators shouted “save our goals,” while one activist claimed that three members of the team used an internationally recognized hand signal for help.

      Athletes in Iran have previously faced punishment for perceived political dissent. Several Iranian athletes who publicly supported the nationwide protests that erupted after the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini were arrested, banned from competition, or pressured into public apologies.

      International player advocates say the situation surrounding the women’s national team has become increasingly concerning.

      Beau Busch, president of the International Federation of Professional Footballers for Asia and Oceania, told reporters that contact with the players has been inconsistent.

      “The reality at the moment is that we’re unable to get in touch with the players. That’s incredibly concerning. That’s not a new thing. That’s really been since the repression really dialed up in February, January,” Busch said, adding that “every bit of pressure” is being applied to ensure the athletes’ safety.

      Later Monday, Trump said he had spoken directly with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about the situation and indicated that Australian authorities were working to ensure the players’ protection.

      “I just spoke to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, of Australia, concerning the Iranian National Women’s Soccer Team. He’s on it! Five have already been taken care of, and the rest are on their way,” Trump wrote in a second Truth Social post. “Some, however, feel they must go back because they are worried about the safety of their families, including threats to those family members if they don’t return. In any event, the Prime Minister is doing a very good job having to do with this rather delicate situation. God bless Australia! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

      Trump’s comments came amid broader international concern about the safety of Iranian athletes and activists abroad, particularly those who publicly challenge the country’s leadership.

      Human rights groups have long warned that Iranian authorities sometimes retaliate against family members of dissidents who remain inside the country, creating pressure on individuals overseas to return.

      For now, the status of the Iranian women’s national team remains uncertain as authorities in Australia and international sports organizations continue working to ensure the players’ safety.

      Turning Point is funding the largest ballot-chasing operation in U.S. history to win key battleground states. Our grassroots army is already in the field for 2026 and beyond. But they can’t stay there without your support. Donate today to help win the midterms, protect the America First movement, and keep conservatives in power.
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