Iran

The Trump Regime’s Post-Iran Bombing Propaganda Party is a Sputtering Dud

Posted by on June 22, 2025 at 3:06 pm. NO Comments :

The morning after Donald Trump ordered a bombing raid on Iran, his political troops on the domestic front fanned out to declare war on the truth, and the trust of the American people, with a campaign of propaganda to justify his unconstitutional commencement of yet another war in the Middle East that the American people oppose.

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Donald Trump Circling the Drain

Concerned that the world wasn’t already suffering sufficient measures of tumult, Trump concluded that it was time to manufacture a new catastrophe to take some of the heat off of those he has already presided over in the first five months of his re-occupation of the White House. Particularly considering that his approval rating has been in free fall since his inauguration.

SEE THIS: As the World Burns: Trump Whines that ‘MAGA HATES Fox News’ After New Poll Shows Him Floundering

Consequently, Trump set his focus on glorifying himself As America’s War-Monger-in-Chief. Did he seek to confer with his political colleagues in Congress, or with America’s international allies? Apparently not. It appears that among the first things he did was to place a call to his shadow Chief of Staff, Sean Hannity of Fox News. Just an hour after he announced the mission to Iran, Trump was divulging details of his Iranian adventure to Hannity. Which is especially notable because he hadn’t even alerted members of the congressional Gang of Eight prior to the attack. Well, at least not the Democratic members.

An hour after Trump launched his illegal war against Iran, he was talking to – Sean Hannity of Fox News?Also, Trump told GOP members of the congressional Gang of 8 prior to the attack, but not the Democratic members. He is politicizing war! #ImpeachTrumpNOW www.mediaite.com/media/tv/i-j…

— News Corpse (@newscorpse.bsky.social) 2025-06-22T10:17:19.132Z

Trump also dispatched his Vice-President, JD Vance, to tell the press that the situation in Iran was so awful because of the “dumb presidents” in office for the past 25 years. Who wants to tell him that that includes his boss, Donald Trump, who was the one who was dumb enough to cancel the U.S. agreement with Iran that prohibited them from developing nuclear weapons, and mandated regular inspections?

JD Vance: "Trump's war in the Middle East is different than in the past 25 years because "back then we had dumb presidents."You mean like Trump, who was president 4 of those years? And of the 3 other presidents during that time – Bush, Obama, Biden – Trump is unquestionably the dumbest.

— News Corpse (@newscorpse.bsky.social) 2025-06-22T17:09:41.226Z

Also called up for duty was Trump’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine. He promptly contradicted Trump’s glowing characterization of the success of the mission as having “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Gen. Caine had a different view of the Battle Damage Assessment (BDA).

Trump himself made time to post some comments on his failing Twitter ripoff, Truth Social, complimenting himself and chastising his foes. For instance, after claiming that he was enjoying “Great unity in the Republican Party,” he posted a long, rambling diatribe attacking fellow Republican Thomas Massie, saying that he is…

“…not MAGA, even though he likes to say he is. Actually, MAGA doesn’t want him, doesn’t know him, and doesn’t respect him. He is a negative force who almost always Votes ‘NO,’ no matter how good something may be. He’s a simple minded ‘grandstander.’ […] MAGA should drop this pathetic LOSER, Tom Massie, like the plague!”

Which is peculiar considering that when Massie was up for reelection Trump gushed that he was “a ‘Conservative Warrior’ and a ‘first-rate Defender of the Constitution,’ who has ‘my complete and total endorsement.'” Trump likely changed his opinion after Massie expressed his opposition to both Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” and the Iran bombing that he correctly said was unconstitutional. And Massie was not alone among the allegedly united GOP>

All of this is going on as Trump is swirling in a death spiral of unpopularity. Just prior to his Iran action, news reports revealed that his polling has sunk to new depths. As Newsweek reported, “Donald Trump’s approval rating is underwater in 15 states he won in 2024, including all seven swing states.”

“In key battlegrounds such as Michigan (-11), Nevada (-12), North Carolina (-8), Wisconsin (-13), Arizona (-12), Pennsylvania (-12), and Georgia (-6), Trump’s net approval rating—the percentage of voters who approve of him minus those who disapprove—is firmly negative.” […]

“Beyond the swing states, Trump is also underwater in other states he carried in 2024, including Texas (-8), Ohio (-6), and Utah (-5). Trump’s net approval ratings are also slightly negative in Missouri (-2), Indiana (-3), Florida (-3), Kansas (-4), and Iowa (-4). This means that in 15 states Trump carried in 2024, his net approval rating now stands below zero.”

Gee…Do you think this might have had anything to do with Trump’s decision to bomb Iran? Do you think he knows anything about wagging the dog?

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As the World Burns: Trump Whines that ‘MAGA HATES Fox News’ After New Poll Shows Him Floundering

Posted by on June 19, 2025 at 12:47 pm. NO Comments :

The responsibilities of the American president are always an extraordinarily weighty burden. The strength of the nation’s economy, the stability of its foreign relations, the administration of its laws, the defense of its international interests, the health and welfare of its people, are all part of the broad portfolio of the person commonly referred to as the most powerful leader on Earth.

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Donald Trump, Wah

Consequently, it is comforting to know that America’s president is always on active duty, seeing to the needs of the nation and addressing its international obligations. For example, Donald Trump is currently laser focused on the most critical matters facing him today, such as erecting giant flag poles at the White House, deploying the military against peaceful demonstrators who dare to exercise their constitutional rights, and staging parades to celebrate his birthday, while simultaneously putting fear into the hearts of our foes.

SEE THIS: Russia Trolls Trump’s Birthday Parade, Turning it Into $45 Million of Anti-American Propaganda

On Thursday morning Trump was hard at work again at one of his most important tasks, posting comments to his failing Twitter ripoff, Truth Social. On this occasion he was compelled to write about the imminent threat of war with Iran, who was already engaged in a deadly conflict with America’s ally Israel.

Just kidding. Trump hasn’t posted a single word about Iran in two days. Although he did mention it to reporters, to whom he said that “No one knows what I’ll do,” so “I’ll do whatever I want.” What Trump was actually posting today was a temper tantrum aimed at his Ministry of Propaganda, Fox News. He raged in part that…

“The Crooked FoxNews Polls got the Election WRONG, I won by much more than they said I would, and have been biased against me for years. They are always wrong and negative. It’s why MAGA HATES FoxNews, even though their anchors are GREAT.”

So that’s why “MAGA HATES Fox News.” Because they occasionally release a poll that isn’t adoringly worshipful of Dear Leader Trump. Daffy Don went on to complain that Fox News uses an “incompetent polling company,” as evidenced by their results showing that he got only “a little more than 50% at the Border.”

That alone would be enough to trigger Trump’s hissy fit. However, he left out some pertinent details that surely played a role in his hysterics. The Fox News poll also revealed that Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” had an approval rating of only 38%, while 59% opposed it. And his overall job approval stands at 46%, with 54% disapproving.

That can’t be helping to elevate his mood above its normal state ranging from cranky grandpa to raving lunatic. And the rest of the data from Fox’s poll could only make him even more furious. He is in negative territory on every issue other than the border. And that includes immigration where his failings are seen in almost every poll that asked the question.

Why is Trump FREAKING OUT now?According to a new Fox News poll, Trump is underwater on everything but the border. And his approval on immigration is almost universally negative.

— News Corpse (@newscorpse.bsky.social) 2025-06-19T17:27:30.029Z

Given the abysmal polling that Trump is suffering through, it’s no wonder that a malignant narcissist like Trump would ignore minor inconveniences like impending war, recession, and the end of American democracy. His attention needs to be directed at whether or not his MAGA cult still loves him, and how to get his media flunkies to praise him with even more slobbering devotion.

Not ot worry, though. Trump will get around to Iran eventually. Or as his Propaganda Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said today, in about two weeks. No, really…

Everything with Trump is "two weeks." Now that includes his decision on whether to take America to war with Iran. He never follows through.Let's hope he fails again on this one. Although he is desperate to change narrative in the media that is all negative for him.

— News Corpse (@newscorpse.bsky.social) 2025-06-19T17:54:49.161Z

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Trump FREAKS OUT Over Report that He Was Hacked By Iran, So He Accuses Kamala Harris of Spying

Posted by on September 19, 2024 at 2:15 pm. 2 Comments :

Donald Trump has never been a particularly stable individual. He is widely known for his highfalutin histrionics and maniacal meltdowns. But ever since Kamala Harris was elevated to nominee of the Democratic Party for President, Trump has taken a treacherous turn for the worse.

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Donald Trump Pacifier Fox

Trump has always had a flare for melodrama. He ramps everything up to hyperbolic extremes in order to create an artificial buzz. But now his campaign is running solely on the fumes of his seething desperation. He is stuck in a downward spiral that threatens to drown him in ever deeper depths of delusion.

SEE THIS: TRUMP IS TOAST: The Washington Post’s Laundry List of Trump’s Increasingly Bizarre Claims

On Thursday morning Trump was grasping plaintively to a story about efforts by Iran to peddle stolen campaign materials. And naturally, Trump thoroughly mangled the facts so as to be unrecognizable to anyone with a toehold on reality. He posted to his floundering social media scam, Truth Social, two comments that were more than slightly unhinged…

1st: “WOW, JUST OUT! THE FBI CAUGHT IRAN SPYING ON MY CAMPAIGN, AND GIVING ALL OF THE INFORMATION TO THE KAMALA HARRIS CAMPAIGN. THEREFORE SHE AND HER CAMPAIGN WERE ILLEGALLY SPYING ON ME. TO BE KNOWN AS THE IRAN, IRAN, IRAN CASE! WILL KAMALA RESIGN IN DISGRACE FROM POLITICS? WILL THE COMMUNIST LEFT PICK A NEW CANDIDATE TO REPLACE HER?”

2nd: “WHEN DOES KAMALA AND HER CAMPAIGN GO BEFORE A GRAND JURY ON IRAN, IRAN, IRAN? MY CAMPAIGN WHEN THROUGH HELL ON THE RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA HOAX. THE BIG DIFFERENCE IS THAT THE IRAN/KAMALA CAMPAIGN CORRUPTION CASE IS REAL!”

Let’s examine this berserk outburst in some more detail, shall we? To begin with, the FBI did not catch “IRAN SPYING ON MY CAMPAIGN, AND GIVING ALL OF THE INFORMATION TO THE KAMALA HARRIS CAMPAIGN.” In fact, they only found that someone associated with Iran had improperly acquired materials from Trump’s campaign and attempted – unsuccessfully – to pass it on to President Biden’s campaign. It all occurred before Harris had become the nominee.

Harris, therefore, was not spying on Trump, and neither was Biden. That, however doesn’t stop a pathological liar like Trump from making reckless accusations of illegalities that exist only in his disease-rotted brain. So there is no reason for Harris to resign. Although Trump ought to consider it after making such flagrantly dishonest remarks and distorting the very serious matter of foreign governments trying to subvert American democracy.

Trump went on to ask “WHEN DOES KAMALA AND HER CAMPAIGN GO BEFORE A GRAND JURY ON IRAN, IRAN, IRAN?” All three of them? You have to wonder what causes Trump to have those weird, repetitious glitches. But more to the point, there are no grounds for a Grand Jury probe of Harris for one simple reason. Because, outside of his frenzied psychobabble, there is no evidence of any wrongdoing whatsoever.

Finally, Trump tries to tie his bogus contortion of this Iran story to the fully documented and treasonous acts involving his unsavory connections to Russia. And along with his blatant dishonesty, he is profoundly hypocritical with regard to making use of dirt compiled by hostile foreign countries. In 2019, George Stephanopoulos asked Trump whether he would use such materials or turn them over to the FBI. He replied that…

“I think maybe you do both. I think you might want to listen. There’s nothing wrong with listening. […] It’s not an [election] interference. They have information, I think I’d take it.”

Not only would Trump take such unscrupulously obtained info, he actually asked Vladimir Putin to hack Hillary Clinton’s email. This morning Trump also dispatched his campaign Senior Advisor, Tim Murtaugh, to Fox News to further spread his lies about the Iran hack. Murtaugh told Fox that…

“Of course the Iranians prefer Kamala Harris. Of course, because they have a pliant, sympathetic figure in her. The questions here today are: What exactly did the Harris campaign do with this stolen information that they were sent? What did they do with it? Did they try to shop it to the media. Did they use it in any way? This is absolutely election interference”

What exactly the campaign did with the information was to turn it over to the FBI. They didn’t use any of it. There isn’t even any evidence that they looked at it before reporting it. And this was even validated by – FOX NEWS! According to Fox…

“The Harris campaign addressed the revelation by federal agencies that individuals tied to the Biden campaign were targeted by Iranian actors with emails containing stolen Trump campaign materials [saying that] ‘We have cooperated with the appropriate law enforcement authorities since we were made aware that individuals associated with the then-Biden campaign were among the intended victims of this foreign influence operation.’ [and that] ‘We’re not aware of any material being sent directly to the campaign; a few individuals were targeted on their personal emails with what looked like a spam or phishing attempt.'”

[Fox also reported that] “In a joint statement released Wednesday, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the FBI, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) [said that] ‘There is currently no information indicating those recipients replied.’ [and that] A Harris campaign official told Fox News Digital that ‘the material was not used.'”

So Trump and his campaign knew precisely what the Harris campaign did before Trump and his flunky made public statements falsely accusing Harris of improprieties. Which means that they were all lying in order to smear Harris. That, of course, is nothing new for Trump and his cohorts. In fact, it is their standard mode of operation. But it is getting more transparent and tiresome and desperate as Election Day draws nearer. Expect that trend to continue right up until November 5th, and even beyond.

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According to Trump and Fox News MOST Americans are Dumb, Terrorist Lovers

Posted by on January 9, 2020 at 1:54 pm. 4 Comments :

It has been clear since his inauguration that Donald Trump was not a popular figure in American politics. He has never reached 50% in approval polls, and his policies have been universally disfavored by voters. What’s more, despite his frequent and desperate denials, support for his impeachment is growing.

Donald Trump TV Set

In the aftermath of Trump’s assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, the divisive rhetoric emanating from the White House has intensified. There has been a noxious effort on the part of Trump and his sycophants to portray anyone who disagrees with him as a traitor who supports the terrorists. That’s a tactic used unsuccessfully by the Bush administration to malign opponents of his invasion of Iraq. And now the StormTrumpers are employing it to attack his critics. GOP Congressman Doug Collins went so far as to say that Democrats “are in love with terrorists.”

That sort of ugliness has not been the exception from Republicans in recent days. They are desperately trying to claw their way out of the hole that Trump has dug for them. Trump’s reckless venture into international assassinations is not being met with approval by Americans or the world. And things aren’t getting any better for them as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduces a resolution to prohibit Trump from taking further rogue actions. That legislative move has triggered the Trump-fluffers on Fox News (video below):

Ainsley Earhardt: The president yesterday said the U.S. is ready to embrace peace. He’s calling for more economic sanctions on Iran’s already struggling economy. He did say that Iran is standing down, so why is the House putting up this resolution to try to limit the president’s powers?
Sarah Sanders: I can’t think of anything dumber than allowing Congress to take over our foreign policy. They can’t seem to manage to get anything done. I think the last thing we want to do is push powers into Congress’ hands and take them away from the president. Any Democrat that doesn’t understand that America is safer now that one of the most dangerous terrorists in the world is rotting in hell is completely naive and completely misses what we need to have in foreign policy.

First of all, Earhardt’s question was loaded with contradictions. She asserted that Trump was embracing peace while simultaneously imposing sanctions, which is a form of economic warfare. And that should be unnecessary if her claim that Iran is standing down is true.

While the question was a jumble of flagrantly biased presumptions, Sanders’ answer was downright demented. Apparently Sanders “can’t think of anything dumber” than the Constitution, which provides Congress with the sole authority to declare war. Congress also has the authority, under the doctrine of checks and balances, to impose limits on the executive branch’s aspirations to tyranny.

Furthermore, Sanders is among the Trump apologists who is suffering from the wishful thinking that the American people support Trump’s unlawful international adventurism. According to a new USA TODAY/Ipsos poll…

  • An 18 point majority (52%-34%), called Trump’s behavior with Iran “reckless.”
  • A 44 point majority (52%-8%), said the attack made it more likely that Iran would develop nuclear weapons.
  • By far, most Americans (55%-24%) believe the assassination made the United States less safe. Including nearly a third of Republicans.
  • By 47%-39%, those surveyed said Trump ordered the killing of Soleimani in an attempt to divert the focus from his impeachment.
  • And specifically addressing Pelosi’s resolution, a big majority (53%-33%) endorsed congressional action that would limit Trump’s ability to order military strikes or declare war without legislative approval.

So Trump, along with his surrogates and cult followers, are severely disengaged from the will of the public at large. This has been a common flaw in the thinking at the White House and their Ministry of Propaganda, Fox News. They persist in trying to convince the people that they believe what they plainly do not believe. And the Trumpies may be succeeding in convincing themselves that the fantasy they imagine is actually reality. That might make them feel a little better today, but it won’t help them in November.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Survey Finds Trump is Not Trusted By the Vast Majority of the World

Posted by on January 8, 2020 at 1:56 pm. 7 Comments :

There couldn’t be a worse time for the United States to be embroiled in an international conflict. These dire circumstances require a steady hand and the confidence of international allies. Instead, the U.S. has Donald Trump in the White House behaving with the typically frenetic, reckless impulsiveness that has tainted his presidency.

Donald Trump

Wednesday morning we saw Trump deliver a speech wherein he once again took credit for “solving” a problem of his own making. He also reminded America and the world how poorly equipped he is to be relied on in a crisis. He spent much of his oratory ranting about how evil our enemies are and chest-thumping about how big our missiles are. That’s when he wasn’t maligning our country’s previous president, Barack Obama, someone for whom Trump still can’t control his crippling jealousy.

Trump also displayed his pitiful ignorance by proposing nonsense like his intention to “ask NATO to become much more involved in the Middle East process.” If he had any knowledgeable and experienced staffers left, he might ask them what NATO is an acronym for and why it would be inappropriate to involve it in the Middle East. Unfortunately, Trump’s managerial ineptitude has decimated his administration. Consequently, the U.S. currently is governed by “acting” department heads, including Homeland Security, Director of National Intelligence, and White House Chief of Staff.

Trump’s reputation for being a pathological liar has resulted in a serious crisis of confidence at home. A majority of voters still say Trump committed impeachable offenses. It is impossible for most Americans to believe anything he says, much less assertions with the life and death importance of justifications for war. It has already been reported that Trump’s initial claims about the need to assassinate Iran’s military commander, Qasem Soleimani, were unsupported by any credible intelligence. Even his Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, walked back the claim that there was an “imminent threat” of attacks by Iran, which Trump used to validate his aggression. Now, a new survey by Pew Research confirms that that sentiment is also a worldwide phenomenon:

“As has been the case throughout his presidency, U.S. President Donald Trump receives largely negative reviews from publics around the world. Across 32 countries surveyed by Pew Research Center, a median of 64% say they do not have confidence in Trump to do the right thing in world affairs, while just 29% express confidence in the American leader.”

Notably, at the end of Obama’s term as president, confidence in him was at 64% in the same poll done in 2017. Trump’s low ratings are likely driven by his bellicose persona and ignorance of world affairs. But they are also tied to the unfavorable opinion that the world has of his policies. According to the Pew survey he is underwater on everything from tariffs, to climate change, to his border vanity wall, to immigration generally and, particularly relevant with regard to current affairs, his withdrawal from the Iran nuclear weapons agreement. And in the poll’s comparison of Trump to other world leaders…

“The survey asked all respondents about four international leaders in addition to President Trump: German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump receives the highest negative ratings among the five leaders.”

Let that sink in. The world has more confidence in Putin and Xi, than in Trump. It’s also interesting to note that the animosity toward Trump does not stem from any general disdain for America. In fact, in the thirty-three countries surveyed, most (54%) have a favorable opinion of the United States. Although that number has declined since Trump’s election, it remains positive. However, as with most things, Trump has a drastically different view of reality, especially with regard to his reception in the world, as he repeatedly – and falsely – tells us on Twitter that…

So it’s important to remember that Trump’s problems are only America’s problems for so long as he is representing us. Therefore, the sooner we can remedy that problem, the better it will be for this nation and for the world.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Fox News Host and Trump-Fluffer Wants the U.S. to Be More Like the Terrorists

Posted by on January 7, 2020 at 12:56 pm. 1 Comments :

The White House narrative on Iran is falling apart. Donald Trump claims that he ordered the assassination of Qasem Soleimani due to intelligence that indicated he represented an “imminent threat” to the U.S. But reports from the Pentagon do not confirm the charge and officials say that any evidence is “razor thin.”

Donald Trump

Meanwhile, when asked to substantiate the allegation, Trump’s press Secretary, Stephanie Grisham, said that she couldn’t. She merely repeated the baseless speculation that American lives were saved. She also complained that people wouldn’t simply trust Trump and take his word about the whole affair. That, of course, is the wholly warranted result of his having lied non-stop throughout his presidency. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also failed when asked to provide confirmation that Iran was plotting attacks on the U.S. In fact, he resorted to a completely different “justification” that relied solely on past events.

Now the propagandists of Trump World are trying to spin his threat to destroy cultural sites as appropriate and lawful military targeting. Never mind that it is an explicit violation of both U.S. and international law. On Fox News Tuesday morning, Pete Hegseth of Fox and Friends sought to demonize rational Trump critics as treasonous saying that “I think with friends like these Democrats, who needs the Iranians” (video below). He went on to complain that Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is “out of her mind” for tweeting correctly that Trump had proposed committing war crimes. And then he unleashed this grotesque commentary:

“I don’t care about Iranian cultural sites, and I’ll tell you why. If they could, if Iran could, if you understand the Islamic Republic of Iran, of Islamists, if the could, if they had the power, they would destroy every single one of our cultural sites and build a mosque on top of it.”

This is a bizarre argument even if you ignore his stuttering introduction. Hegseth is saying that it’s acceptable to behave like terrorists because terrorists behave that way. He is, in effect, advocating that the U.S. adopt the tactics of terrorists. What’s next? Would Hegseth approve of Americans beheading prisoners of war? Would he favor sending suicide bombers into the lobbies of hotels where Muslims were guests? Would he support flying planes into skyscrapers in Tehran? After all, the terrorists do that, so why shouldn’t we?

The question is, did that disgusting illogic come from Trump, or did Hegseth plant it in Trump’s befuddled head? Because the President said pretty much the same thing on Monday:

“They’re allowed to kill our people. They’re allowed to torture and maim our people. They’re allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And we’re not allowed to touch their cultural site? It doesn’t work that way.”

This is representative of Trump’s total absence of morality. He and his cult followers believe that they can commit any crime they like with impunity. And they will also tell any lie to support their atrocities. For instance, Trump’s former ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said on Monday that Democrats were “mourning the loss” of Soleimani. She was challenged repeatedly to provide a single example of that reckless and hateful assertion, but went into hiding rather than respond.

This tendency to endorse such repugnant acts shows how far Trump and his regime have diverged from any semblance of civil society. It marks them as aspiring terrorists themselves because, if they approve of these tactics, what separates them from the heathens they pretend to oppose? They believe that any act, no matter how heinous, is justified if your enemy would do it. But the American people, whose principles are in tact, would surely disagree and admonish Trump that “It doesn’t work that way.”

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

HEY FOX NEWS: Opposing Trump’s Derangement Is Not Support for Iran’s Terrorism

Posted by on January 6, 2020 at 3:14 pm. 5 Comments :

The debate over Donald Trump’s order to assassinate a top Iranian military commander is beginning to take on the familiar tones of the Bush administration’s dishonest and unlawful invasion of Iraq nearly twenty years ago. Following the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani there has arisen a cry from the Trump camp for an unquestioning embrace of the mission that still has not been justified or defined.

Donald Trump, Fox News, Hate Again

Bush’s rationale for invading Iraq was rooted in deliberate falsehoods about nonexistent weapons of mass destruction. His national security team would not provide any proof of the claim, but insisted that the American people get on board and support the President on blind trust. Bush famously admonished rational skeptics that “Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.”

This is precisely how the Trump administration is framing its assault on Soleimani and his subsequent threats against Iran. Those threats include outright declarations of Trump’s intention to commit war crimes by targeting “cultural sites” with “disproportionate” force. And Trump is getting plenty of help from his State TV Ministry of Propaganda, Fox News. The memo must have gone out over the weekend to portray all of Trump’s critics as unpatriotic and supporters of Iranian terrorism.

That, of course, could not be farther from the truth. It is not only possible, but necessary for free thinkers to raise questions about Trump’s actions. After all, he has refused to provide any evidence of his implausible contention that Iran was plotting attacks on the United States. And his resume of flagrant lying about all things great and small make him wholly unbelievable as a source for anything more significant than the weather (and he has blatantly lied about that as well).

That, however, isn’t what you’ll from Fox as their sycophantic shills campaign to canonize the Liar-in-Chief. It was evident early on with Trump’s favorite morning program, Fox and Friends, where co-host Ainsley Earhardt engaged in friendly banter with co-host Steve Doocy and squealed giddily that…

Earhardt: I find it so interesting that people are critical of the president’s decisions, of our intelligence community’s decisions, our general’s decisions.
Doocy: They want details.
Earhardt: Well, they can’t have it. They can’t have it. Everything can’t be made public.

That’s an astonishing commentary from the folks who have been lambasting the intelligence community as dishonest and corrupt and anti-Trump “Deep State” traitors, for the past three years. Nor have they been especially respectful of generals, three of whom Trump has fired from senior White House posts, while maligning them fools and insisting that he knows more than all of them.

Earhardt is also arguing that Trump should be permitted to withhold the intelligence that would justify his actions. That’s a bizarre position from someone supposedly in the “news” business whose job is to investigate and report on the government and the politicians who occupy it. Not that there have ever been any actual reporters on Fox News. They are there for one purpose only: to advance the propaganda of the Trump administration and, more broadly, the conservative agenda.

The notion that the media should accept and defend Trump’s secrecy was further articulated later in the day on Fox by commentator Katie Pavlich. During a debate with Democratic consultant Richard Fowler, who argued that the American people should be shown the intelligence that informed Trump’s decision, Pavlich shot back, “You’re not entitled to seeing it because people like you don’t believe in intelligence.”

Once again, this is coming from someone who has been a staunch critic of the intelligence community for years. And she’s directing this thinly veiled personal insult at “people like” Fowler, whose support for America’s intelligence agencies is well documented. What’s more, it’s absurd to suggest that disagreeing with Trump is also disagreeing with the intelligence community. There is absolutely zero evidence that intelligence was the basis for anything that Trump has done. If it was, there is surely some portion of it that he could make public.

The gist of the Fox News position is that anyone who doesn’t devotedly follow Trump and blindly believe whatever he says without question, is unpatriotic. They contend that requiring Trump to explain himself and his decisions is tantamount to sacrilege. They fail to comprehend that true patriotism requires politicians to continually justify themselves, particularly if they are known to be pathological liars.

Americans are not supposed to be regarded as, or treated like, sheep led by aspiring dictators who cannot be challenged or questioned. But according to the Fox Doctrine, Trump must be worshiped as a prophet sent by God to lead the nation into a dystopian future. That’s not how America works. Even if Trump’s lackeys appear on Fox and accuse his critics of “hero worship” of Soleimani, simply because they won’t submit to Trump’s holy version of reality. Which is what Kellyanne Conway did this morning:

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Trump-Fluffers at Fox News Begin War Mongering Before Soleimani’s Body is Cold

Posted by on January 3, 2020 at 12:48 pm. 8 Comments :

On the second day of the new year Donald Trump launched a new conflict in the Middle East, this time with the region’s largest military, Iran. Contrary to his frequent promises to withdraw the United States from the Middle East, Trump’s assault is likely to result in another prolonged war that will be costly in both lives and dollars.

Donald Trump

No American will mourn the demise of General Qasem Soleimani. He was the leading purveyor of Iran’s international terrorism and was responsible for hundreds fatalities among both Americans and civilians in Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere. But the mission to assassinate Iran’s second highest military leader in Iraq was nevertheless a provocative act that could lead to further unnecessary tragedies for the U.S. and the region.

This is particularly apparent since Trump has no coherent strategy, policy, or end game. He failed to consult members of Congress as the law requires and, therefore, had no legal authorization for the attack. And in a flurry of syrupy, worshipful retweets, Trump included one by disgraced pundit Dinesh D’Souza that shamefully implied that had Trump told Congress they would have told Iran. To date, the only one who has disclosed state secrets to hostile foreign nations is Trump when he speaks to Putin.

In fact, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted that he discussed this attack with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in advance. So Trump informed Russia, but not Congress. It’s also notable that, by targeting an individual, as opposed to military assets, Trump possibly violated international laws against assassination.

Trump’s initial justification for the attack is that it was executed in order to prevent imminent future attacks on Americans. However, he provided no evidence of any such threat. It sounds very much like the false assertions of the Bush administration alleging nonexistent weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Also familiar is the statement by Pompeo, who baselessly claimed that “We have every expectation that people not only in Iraq, but in Iran, will view the American action last night as giving them freedom.” That recalls Dick Cheney’s preposterous assertion that “My belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators [in Iraq].”

Immediately following Trump’s attack, Fox News predictably leaped to his defense with a vigor that can only be described as gleeful. Although he was on vacation, Sean Hannity called into his own program to insist that Iran had “put American lives in jeopardy and the president very quickly acted,” and that it was “a huge victory and total leadership by the president.” But Brian Kilmeade of Fox and Friends was representative of the Fox position when he rebutted Geraldo Rivera’s criticism of the attack by gloating that “I will cheer this on. I am elated.”

Make no mistake. This is the host of a popular Fox News program expressing his elation about a potential war that would result in untold casualties of Americans for a purpose that no one in the Trump administration has been able to define.

If you’re looking for a plausible reason for why Trump would take this action at this time, look no further than the news that broke earlier the same day. The release of newly unredacted emails from Trump’s national security personnel that state unequivocally that Trump knew his withholding of military aid to Ukraine was illegal. The discovery of this provides additional urgency for the Senate to agree to call witnesses and to introduce documents when it takes up Trump’s impeachment.

Trump knows this, and it escalates his fear that impeachment could result in his removal from office. So in order to deflect from the growing political peril he is enduring, Trump appears to have taken the course of action that he once falsely accused President Obama of considering: Start a war with Iran:

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Trump’s Sick Affection for Tyrants Now Includes Iran, He Says ‘I’m Gonna Be Their Best Friend’

Posted by on June 22, 2019 at 11:36 am. 1 Comments :

America is undergoing an unprecedented assault from within that emanates from the highest reaches of its government. From the very beginning of his presidency, Donald Trump has exhibited a perverse affinity for murderous dictators all over the world. This fetish began with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, extended to North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, and stretched further to include China’s Xi Jinping and others.

Donald Trump, Ayatollah

Now Trump is putting on display his love for yet another deadly and abhorrent regime. This is one that has famously articulated its desire for “death to America.” And it has been a threat to the United States and its allies for decades. Which makes it all the more disturbing that Trump told reporters on Saturday morning that he wants to “Make Iran Great Again.” Yep. those are his exact words. And what’s more, he expressed his personal hope that “I’m gonna be their best friend.”

This outpouring of affection for a hostile regime that is one of the world’s biggest sponsors of terror was triggered by the recent clash between Iranian and U.S. forces in the Strait of Hormuz. After Iran shot down an American surveillance drone, Trump ordered a retaliatory strike that he later rescinded. It was a display of incompetence, chaos, and lies that can only serve to damage America’s interests and reputation.

So naturally Trump took it upon himself to hail his ineptitude it as a stroke of brilliance. And on Saturday, during his peculiar “chopper talk” session with the press, Trump said this:

This is eerily similar to Trump’s comments regarding North Korea. He seems to believe that dangling the prospect of an American-provided economic expansion is what all of these dictators are yearning for. And he also believes that he can engineer that economic boom for any foreign country he chooses. All they have to do is submit to whatever he says with unbending obedience.

Furthermore, Trump insists that if Iran agrees to some unspecified terms regarding their nuclear capabilities, he will see to it that they become a wealthy nation. What’s troubling about this is that he is making no demands with regard to Iran’s support for terrorism or their human rights atrocities both inside and outside of Iran. He’s saying that if Iran agrees to a rollback in their nuclear programs (which they already did under President Obama), Trump will embrace them and enrich them so they can finance more savagery throughout the world.

And the cherry on top of this nightmare pie is that Trump is promising to be Iran’s best friend. You know, the “death to America” folks. Trump even gave Iran a pat on the back for not shooting down another plane on Friday. In this highly suspicious story, Trump thanked Iran saying “I think that was a very wise decision, and I think that’s something that we very much appreciate.” Let that sink in. Trump is sending his “appreciation” to Iran for not shooting down our plane. How thoughtful.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Meanwhile, Trump offers nothing but animus and scorn for our friends and allies. He lambastes Mexico, Canada, and Europe at every opportunity. Still, Trump is spreading his friendship pretty thin. He has promised to be best buddies with Russia, North Korea, and China. Never mind the horrific roles they play on the international stage. And set aside how these offers of fellowship are reserved for hateful tyrants. Now we can add Iran to the list of brutal governments that have won Trump’s heart. How does any of this advance American interests?

UNFIT: Trump Okays Strike on Iran Without a Casualty Assessment, and Other Unpresidential Acts

Posted by on June 21, 2019 at 12:08 pm. 3 Comments :

There has been frequent speculation about the shaky temperament of Donald Trump and his mental unfitness for the office of the presidency. This has been observed in his pathological lying, infantile name-calling, nerve-rattling ignorance, affinity for murderous dictators, aversion to American intelligence agencies, and brazen disrespect for the law.

Donald Trump

Nevertheless, Trump continues to provide more evidence of how pitifully incompetent and unprepared he is for the duty he’s assumed. The latest demonstration of that is his response to the charge that Iran shot down an American drone. His first comment on the matter was (naturally) a threatening tweet that said only that “Iran made a very big mistake!” However, he followed that up by suggesting that he literally believes that what Iran did was accidental. Which makes his decision to strike back with military force (for an accident?) somewhat peculiar. But no more peculiar than his reversal of that decision, which he explained in another series of tweets. Let’s examine this tweetstorm:


Obama did not “give” money to Iran. Trump is referring to money that was Iran’s to begin with. It had been frozen in foreign accounts. Obama’s deal released the funds upon completion of the nuclear agreement. Also, Obama did not give Iran a “free path to nuclear weapons.” He secured a decades-long prohibition of further development of their nuclear capabilities which at the time were within a year of completing a functional weapon. Trump’s knee-jerk blaming of Obama is ironic considering that Trump had falsely accused him of plotting to attack Iran nine times before he was president.

Trump complaining about the nuclear agreement with Iran not being ratified by Congress is laughable considering his proclivity for executive orders and appointments of numerous “acting” cabinet officials (ominously including Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Homeland Security, and U.N. Ambassador) who have never been confirmed by the Senate. And Trump’s claim that Iran is now “Bust!” doesn’t jibe with reality. There’s no evidence that their military capabilities have been reduced in any way.


This first tweet contains several notable rhetorical errors. First of all, all drones are unmanned. Secondly, “International Waters” is not a pronoun. Third, it’s “locked and loaded” not “cocked.” Fourth, it’s “sites,” not “sights.”

More importantly, if it’s true that Trump approved a military strike, but only asked for a casualty assessment ten minutes before it began, he is even more disengaged and incompetent as Commander-in-Chief than we thought. However, casualty assessments are routinely given during mission briefings, and reports say this one was no exception. So Trump is likely lying about when he learned of the potential fatalities. Even Chris Wallace of Fox News was curious why Trump didn’t ask that question sooner, prompting him to wonder if Trump “has the stomach to launch this kind of attack.”

Trump often says that he has “rebuilt” the military which he describes disparagingly as having been “depleted.” In doing so, he is insulting every American officer and soldier who served prior to his election. Never mind the fact that his demeaning assertion is wholly unfounded.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Taken in total, these tweets are nothing more than Trump seeking to excuse his inadequacies, assign blame to others, and exalt himself as a national savior. They do nothing to advance a solution to rising tensions in the Middle East (which he has exacerbated), or to protect America’s interests. Like just about everything else he does, it was focused solely on glorifying himself and canonizing the image that he wants others to have of him. Unfortunately for Trump, that will only work on the glassy-eyed Deplorables that make up his cult following.