It’s not clear what President Trump plans to do regarding the problematic Iranian leaders after walloping their country’s military in quick fashion, but what is clear is he’s getting to the end of his patience.
Trump has issued a stern warning to Iran after the country fired upon several vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, despite the Revolutionary Guard Corps granting those ships permission to proceed.
After expressing his dissatisfaction, Trump announced that the delegation responsible for negotiating a peace deal will be traveling to Islamabad, Pakistan, for a second round of talks. If the Iranians reject the proposed terms from the U.S. once more, Trump has vowed to respond with significant force aimed at vital Iranian infrastructure.
“I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single power plant, and every single bridge, in Iran,” Trump said in a post on social media, no doubt after consulting with his national security team. “No more Mr. Nice Guy.”
“They’ll come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the deal, it will be my honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other presidents, for the last 47 years,” Trump continued. “It’s time for the Iran killing machine to end.”
Trump resorted to similar language when speaking with Fox News’ Trey Yingst, noting that if the Iranians refuse a deal, “the whole country is getting blown up.”
Round two of negotiations is supposed to take place in Islamabad on Tuesday, but reports now say the Iranians may not even show up. Too bad.
NewsNation political contributor Chris Cillizza said during a recent live stream on his YouTube channel that Vice President JD Vance is a formidable potential 2028 presidential candidate whom Democrats underestimate “at their own peril.”
An Emerson College poll published last week showed Vance with a 46 percent favorability rating, leading several prominent Republicans and Democrats, including potential 2028 contenders.
Reacting to the poll on X, Cillizza said the numbers reinforced his belief that Democrats fail to grasp “Vance’s appeal,” a point he reiterated during his live stream.
“I’m pretty bullish on JD Vance,” Cillizza said. “I think Democrats underestimate JD Vance at their own peril, which I think they’re doing.”
CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten said recently that Vance appeared to be in a strong position to secure the Republican presidential nomination in 2028.
Enten cited Vance’s large advantage in early polling and the historical success rate of sitting vice presidents when seeking their party’s nomination.
“Look, this is early polling, but look, for the GOP nomination, it’s JD Vance at 40 percent,” Enten said. “There’s no one even close to him.”
“Keep in mind that early favorites have actually gone on to win the nomination 63 percent of the time, those who have run since 1980,” Enten added.
WATCH:
Grassroots conservatives expressed strong early support for JD Vance as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, according to a straw poll conducted at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest.
Vance received 84.2% support among respondents, far outpacing other potential Republican contenders.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio placed second with 4.8%, followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 2.9% and Donald Trump Jr. at 1.8%, according to the poll results.
“JD Vance won the 2028 nomination straw poll by more than Donald Trump won the 2024 one we did two years ago,” Blake Neff, producer of the “Charlie Kirk Show,” said on X. Two years ago, President Trump clinched 82.6% support, followed by DeSantis at 7.6%.
Vance was the final featured speaker at the AmericaFest gathering in Phoenix. Ahead of his remarks, Turning Point USA Chief Executive Officer Erika Kirk offered remarks that attendees interpreted as an endorsement of Vance for the presidency in 2028.
The country’s No. 2 elected official has led early polling among potential Republican contenders for the 2028 presidential election. He has publicly stated, however, that he is not currently focused on a future presidential bid.
“We’re going to win the midterms. We’re going to do everything that we can to win the midterms,” Vance told Fox News’ “Hannity” when asked about his 2028 plans earlier this month. “And then after that, I’m going to sit down with the president of the United States and talk to him about it.”
Nevertheless, that doesn’t prevent him from occasionally targeting potential Democratic rivals for 2028.
“Democrats are already talking about 2028 and it looks like they’re going to nominate a California liberal who’s presided over rolling blackouts, open borders and unchecked violent gangs,” Vance said during his AmericaFest speech Sunday. “They’re just trying to settle on whether it’s going to be Gavin Newsom or Kamala Harris.”
Trump has not endorsed a potential successor, with the next presidential election still three years away. The president continues to maintain strong support among grassroots conservative activists, according to the straw poll results.
Nearly two months after a widely shared embrace between the two, Erika — who has assumed leadership of the organization following her husband’s assassination — appeared on stage at the Phoenix Convention Center last month to formally back Vance’s anticipated White House bid.
“We are going to get my husband’s friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible,” she told thousands of activists, per video of her speech that was posted online.
The announcement was met with loud applause.
If he does run, Turning Point USA could offer a significant boost.
The nonprofit has become a major force in conservative youth organizing and MAGA politics, building substantial influence within the Republican grassroots through its nationwide campus network, expansive digital reach, and ability to mobilize activists on behalf of candidates.
Missouri Democrat Rep. Cori Bush lost her congressional seat to a challenger on Tuesday night, making her the second member of the far-left “Squad” to do so.
Wesley Bell, the candidate for St. Louis County prosecutor, led Bush by double digits, with 54.9% of the vote to Bush’s 41.8% when Decision Desk HQ called the race.
Bush has been ridiculed on social media in the wake of her primary defeat by Republicans.
Pro-Trump comedian Terrance K. Williams posted on X, formerly Twitter: “A ‘BLACK JOB’ IS SOMETHING CORI BUSH DOES NOT HAVE. OH HAPPY DAY! OH HAPPY DAY.
“She is the Second Squad member to lose her seat! I can’t wait until they are all gone. They are all full of hate [and] stupidity. I’m laughing so hard. Who’s laughing with me?” he added.
In a sarcastic post, Florida GOP rep. Matt Gaetz, who is on the House Judiciary Committee along with Bush, wrote: “I will miss Cori Bush missing every committee meeting.”
Ryan Fournier, a co-founder of the Students for Trump group, posted: “The Squad’s Cori Bush has LOST her primary. Join me in saying GOOD RIDDANCE! Hamas might be hiring, Cori!”
While referencing the campaign speech from Vice President Kamala Harris and her newly announced running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, actor Michael Rapaport, a vocal Israel supporter, added: “Tonight at the rally they said let’s bring back ‘JOY’ to politics and boom CORI BUSH is done with Politics…. I feel JOY all of a sudden.”
Before Tuesday’s primaries, polls suggested that Bush was in political trouble.
Following the Ferguson riots, in which she actively participated, Bush entered the local political scene. She has since persisted in fabricating events regarding Michael Brown to further her political goals.
After defeating William “Lacy” Clay Jr. in the 2020 election, she has been the representative for Missouri’s 1st Congressional District, which covers St. Louis City and a portion of the surrounding St. Louis County, since 2021. Since then, she has gained notoriety by swiftly joining forces with radical Left lawmakers like Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI).
Following the October 7th massacre, which was an unprecedented and unprovoked attack on Israel by terrorists affiliated with Hamas, Bush aligned himself with pro-Hamas demonstrators who threatened Jewish students on American college campuses and blamed Israel for the ensuing conflict.
Since then, the Missouri congresswoman has been at the center of controversy for allegedly giving thousands to her husband in exchange for “security,” while she calls for fewer police protections for others while violent crime soars in her home district.
Bush’s defeat follows that of another candidate eliminated from the primary 1,000 miles away, Rep. Jamaal Bowman. Bowman is most remembered for sounding the alarm to halt an unfavorable vote from moving forward, but he also lost by a large margin after endorsing pro-Hamas demonstrators on college campuses following October 7.
Both Bush and Bowman have asserted that the reason their campaigns failed is not because of their extreme ideals but rather because of funding from the pro-Israel organization AIPAC.