Category: Unpresidential

Trump Attacks Supreme Court Wall Street Journal Iran

President Donald Trump launched a series of Truth Social posts on Tuesday evening attacking the Supreme Court, The Wall Street Journal, wind energy, and Iran within 90 minutes. Trump announced Pennsylvania coal plants would remain open instead of being replaced by wind farms, which he called “costly and ineffective” and blamed for harming birds, repeating claims that scientists have disputed.

Trump assailed The Wall Street Journal as having “LOST ITS WAY,” targeting editorial board member Elliot Kaufman for an opinion piece criticizing Trump’s Iran negotiations. Trump accused billionaire owner Rupert Murdoch of directing the negative coverage and called the outlet a “failing political RAG.” This attack followed a federal judge’s dismissal of Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the newspaper and journalists who reported on an alleged birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump posted a 340-word assault on the Supreme Court, claiming the justices he appointed have become “politically correct” and disloyal while Democratic appointees show unwavering loyalty. He criticized the Republican-appointed justices for lacking loyalty to him personally and allowing Democrats to “push them around,” referencing the court’s February decision striking down his tariff regime as unconstitutional and its pending ruling on birthright citizenship.

On Iran policy, Trump claimed Iran wants to open the Strait of Hormuz to earn $500 million daily and is only saying otherwise to “save face.” He stated that any deal with Iran would require the U.S. to “blow up the rest of their Country, their leaders included.” Trump’s comments followed his announcement that the U.S. would extend its ceasefire with Iran indefinitely at Pakistan’s request, leaving no timeline for resolving the conflict that began in late February and has caused thousands of deaths and a surge in gas prices.

Senator Elizabeth Warren responded to the ceasefire extension, telling CNN that Trump “has painted himself into a corner and he can’t find an exit,” noting the absence of any timeline on the blockade or war. Multiple recent polls show a majority of Americans oppose the Iran war.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-truth-social-supreme-court-wind-farms-b2962313.html)

‘Political stunt’: Critics slam Trump’s reading of a Bible passage one week after posting AI image of himself as Jesus | The Independent

Donald Trump participated in a Bible-reading marathon on Tuesday, reciting a passage from 2 Chronicles 7:11-22 in a pre-recorded video from the Oval Office as part of the “America Reads the Bible” event. The passage, frequently cited by those claiming the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation, featured Trump seated at the Resolute Desk delivering a roughly three-minute recitation. Critics immediately labeled the reading a “political stunt,” while supporters praised the Republican president for publicly affirming Christian values and American identity.

The scripture reading follows Trump’s posting of an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ one week earlier, which he later claimed showed him as a doctor rather than a religious figure. Trump deleted the Jesus image after backlash, falsely claiming it represented medical healing, and the incident sparked criticism from Christian commentators and former Republican allies including Marjorie Taylor Greene, who denounced the post as an inappropriate replacement of Jesus imagery.

The Bible reading occurs within Trump’s broader campaign to integrate Evangelical Christianity into federal governance. Since returning to office, Trump established the White House Faith Office headed by televangelist Paula White-Cain, who has compared him to Jesus, and authorized federal workers to encourage religious expressions in government workplaces. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has explicitly invoked Christian language in military contexts, praying that rounds “find their mark against the enemies of righteousness” during Iran war operations, demonstrating how Trump’s administration has weaponized religious rhetoric to justify military action.

Trump’s emphasis on Christianity has intensified his conflict with Pope Leo, the first U.S.-born pontiff, who has repeatedly condemned the Iran war and rejected the use of faith to justify violence. Trump attacked the pope in a 334-word Truth Social post, branding him “terrible” on foreign policy and falsely suggesting the pontiff accepts Iran possessing nuclear weapons. Pope Leo has refused to remain silent, stating he will continue speaking against war and promoting dialogue to end suffering.

Brian Kaylor, author of “The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power,” rejected Trump’s interpretation of the selected passage, telling the Associated Press that the verse represents “a promise made to one particular person in one particular moment” and cannot legitimately be applied to modern U.S. political purposes through decontextualization. Social media responses divided sharply, with supporters viewing the reading as moral leadership while critics questioned whether Trump has ever genuinely engaged with scripture.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-bible-passage-reading-white-house-b2962262.html)

SPLC Indicted on Trumped Up Fraud Charges for Reporting on far-right neo-Nazi Groups

The Justice Department indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center on Tuesday on federal fraud charges, alleging it improperly raised millions of dollars to pay informants infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan and other white nationalist groups. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated the organization defrauded donors by using their money to fund the extremism it claimed to oppose, with over $3 million paid to informants through a now-defunct program. The civil rights group faces charges of wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering in federal court in Alabama.

Prosecutors allege the SPLC created fraudulent bank accounts under fictitious names such as “Fox Photography” and “Rare Books Warehouse” to conceal money transfers to informants from donors. The indictment identifies at least nine unnamed informants paid through a secret program dating to the 1980s, including one who received over $1 million between 2014 and 2023 while affiliated with the neo-Nazi National Alliance. Another informant, paid over $270,000 between 2015 and 2023, was a member of an online leadership group that organized the 2017 white nationalist “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and attended at the SPLC’s direction.

The SPLC stated it will vigorously defend itself against what it described as false allegations, asserting its informant program saved lives by monitoring violent extremist threats and sharing intelligence with law enforcement. Interim CEO Bryan Fair said the organization operated the program in secrecy to protect informant safety during a period marked by bombings, state-sponsored violence, and unsolved murders of civil rights activists. The organization contended it disclosed the program’s existence after the Justice Department’s investigation became public.

The indictment reflects escalating Republican attacks on the SPLC, which has faced intense criticism from conservative groups over its documentation of white nationalist and anti-government organizations. FBI Director Kash Patel severed the agency’s relationship with the center last year, calling it a “partisan smear machine” that defames “mainstream Americans” through its tracking of hate groups. House Republicans held a December hearing accusing the SPLC of coordinating with the Biden administration to target Christian and conservative organizations.

The prosecution follows other Justice Department investigations into Trump’s opponents and critics, intensifying concerns that the law enforcement agency has been weaponized for political purposes under the Republican administration.

(Source: https://www.npr.org/2026/04/21/g-s1-118275/southern-poverty-law-center-fraud-charges-paid-informants?utm_term=nprnews&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=npr&fbclid=IwdGRjcARVFvNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeo6GChtp8Ryn-h8AjBjI9MbbJfNP0Wt1SBw4PTVAFQmk5-oNZoCdnzl7yVgI_aem_PqhD4RCwv1mtQzaagDjCkA)

Patel Claims FBI Has Evidence 2020 Election Stolen

FBI Director Kash Patel claimed during a Fox News interview that he possesses evidence supporting Donald Trump’s false assertion that the 2020 election was stolen, promising to reveal information “this week.” Patel stated, “We have the information that backs President Trump’s claim,” without specifying what evidence exists or providing any documentation to substantiate the allegation.

Patel’s statements came as he faced damaging allegations published by The Atlantic regarding his conduct as FBI director, including reports of excessive drinking at Washington, D.C. clubs and his home city of Las Vegas, as well as paranoia about being fired. The article alleged his behavior violates FBI conduct standards and could leave him vulnerable to coercion or exploitation. Patel announced he would file a defamation lawsuit against the magazine and attacked the reporting as “fake news” on social media.

Trump has consistently promoted the lie that he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden through fraud despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. His former personal attorney Rudy Giuliani lost multiple court cases attempting to prove wrongdoing, and Trump’s lies inspired the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, during which his supporters attempted to prevent congressional certification of the election results. More than 1,500 insurrectionists were prosecuted, though Trump pardoned them in 2025 after reclaiming office.

Patel’s pattern of weaponizing the FBI against political opponents reflects broader administration efforts to abuse law enforcement institutions. Michigan state officials are currently resisting DOJ attempts to seize Detroit-area ballots from the 2024 election, with Attorney General Dana Nessel accusing the administration of attempting to sow doubt about electoral integrity ahead of midterm elections.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Patel’s leadership, claiming crime has “plummeted to the lowest level in more than 100 years” under his direction and calling him “a critical player on the administration’s law and order team.” Journalist Sarah Fitzpatrick, who authored The Atlantic report, told CNN she stands by her reporting and noted that White House insiders routinely discuss Patel’s potential removal from office.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/kash-patel-2020-election-trump-b2960883.html)

Trump ICE Detention Crisis Forces Federal Judges to Issue Sanctions

Federal judges across California are confronting a crisis in immigration detention created by the Trump administration’s mandatory detention policy. Since July 2025, the Department of Homeland Security has ordered all arrested immigrants held without bond, a dramatic expansion from the previous policy that applied only to those caught at the border. This change followed Trump’s signing of a spending bill allocating $45 billion to expand federal immigrant detention facilities.

The surge in detentions has overwhelmed California’s federal courts, particularly the Eastern District, which received over 2,700 habeas corpus petitions since January 2026 compared to fewer than 500 the previous year. Chief Judge Troy Nunley declared a judicial emergency in the district and sanctioned a Department of Justice attorney $250 for repeatedly violating court orders to release detained immigrants. Many detainees are longtime U.S. residents with no criminal records who were arrested during routine immigration check-ins, including an Afghan who supported American military efforts and a Cambodian grandmother who fled the Khmer Rouge.

Habeas corpus petitions, once reserved for death row inmates and suspected terrorists, have become the only recourse for immigrants seeking release. Judge Nunley stated that “the majority of the cases that we see are cases where people should not be detained” and emphasized that detainees are entitled to the same due process protections as any other person. However, some government lawyers have argued that the Fifth Amendment does not apply to detained immigrants, contradicting constitutional guarantees of due process.

The Trump administration’s policy has created procedural chaos across federal districts. Judge Sunshine Sykes of California’s Central District issued a decision describing the administration’s enforcement as inflicting “terror against noncitizens,” though the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals blocked her order requiring bond hearings. Federal judges unprepared for the volume of immigration cases are working nights to process emergency motions, while government attorneys claim they are overwhelmed by more than 300 cases assigned in three months.

Nationwide, nearly a quarter of approximately 30,000 active habeas petitions are filed in California courts, with half concentrated in Nunley’s Eastern District. Legal experts anticipate the dispute over mandatory detention will reach the Supreme Court as challenges progress through multiple appellate circuits. Judges across the country have expressed frustration that the Trump administration’s enforcement blitz has created a system that denies detainees the opportunity to gather evidence or consult with lawyers while forcing them to file emergency constitutional petitions instead of receiving standard bond hearings.

(Source: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-04-19/trump-doj-habeas-corpus-immigration-detention)

Trump warns he will ‘blow up’ Iran if peace deal not reached | The Independent

President Donald Trump threatened to destroy Iran’s infrastructure, stating the “whole country is going to get blown up” if the nation does not reach a peace agreement with the United States. Trump’s ultimatum comes as a two-week ceasefire expires on Wednesday and follows the collapse of peace talks in Pakistan that Vice President JD Vance led.

The core dispute centers on Iran’s nuclear program, with the U.S. demanding its complete dismantling. The United States has implemented a blockade of Iranian ports to restrict oil sales as leverage in negotiations. Trump framed his threat as a shift in approach, declaring “no more mr Nice Guy” while threatening new military strikes on Iran if a deal is not finalized.

Negotiations are expected to resume with special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, though confusion persists regarding Vice President Vance’s role in future discussions. The escalation reflects Trump’s pattern of issuing inflammatory threats as negotiating tactics, following Pentagon briefings touting military operations against Iran as successful.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/iran-war-peace-deal-trump-b2960611.html)

Trump Claims Credit for Ending Wars He Started

Trump claimed at a Turning Point USA event in Arizona that he has ended ten wars, adding Iran and Lebanon to his previous list of eight. Trump stated, “If we add Iran and Lebanon, that will be 10 wars ended, and many, many millions of lives. Think of how many lives we have saved.” The State Department previously promoted this claim in October 2025, and Trump repeated it during a November 60 Minutes interview with CBS News’s Norah O’Donnell, pulling a written list from his pocket to enumerate conflicts he said he resolved through tariff threats.

CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale documented that Trump’s list contains fabricated or mischaracterized claims. The list includes a diplomatic dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia that was not a war, an undefined situation between Serbia and Kosovo that also was not a war, and the war in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which has not ended despite a Trump administration-brokered peace agreement that was never signed by the rebel group leading the fighting. Trump falsely attributes credit for resolving conflicts that either did not occur as wars or remain active despite his claimed interventions.

Most significantly, Trump initiated one of the wars he now claims to have ended. Trump ordered U.S. strikes on Iran that began in June 2025 and escalated into major military action with Israel starting in February 2026. By claiming credit for ending a conflict he himself started, Trump demonstrates the disinformation central to his broader pattern of threatening war crimes against Iran while simultaneously portraying himself as a peacemaker.

Trump’s methodology for claiming war resolution relies on unsubstantiated assertions about his negotiating power. During his 60 Minutes appearance, he claimed he resolved disputes by threatening tariffs, stating, “I said, in many cases, in 60% I said, ‘If you don’t stop fighting, I’m putting tariffs on both of your countries.'” No evidence supports these claims, and many of the conflicts on his list predate his presidency or have continued regardless of his stated involvement.

Trump has repeatedly invoked the “eight wars” claim throughout his presidency to build his political brand as a peacemaker. This pattern of fabrication demonstrates abuse of power through the weaponization of false narratives to reshape his public image, diverting attention from actual military escalations he has ordered and supported.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-proactively-claims-credit-for-ending-two-more-wars-one-of-which-he-started/)

Iran says Strait of Hormuz ‘closed again’ until US blockade lifted | The Independent

Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed on Saturday in response to the Trump administration’s naval blockade of Iranian ports, with the Revolutionary Guards stating the waterway would remain shut until the US military lifts its restrictions on Iranian vessels. Two Indian-flagged tankers reported coming under gunfire in the channel shortly after Iran’s announcement, escalating tensions in one of the world’s most critical shipping routes.

Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei threatened “bitter defeats” on enemies, effectively undermining prospects for weekend peace negotiations between the nations. The threat reflects Tehran’s hardening stance as Trump administration pressure tactics intensify following the collapse of earlier diplomatic efforts in Pakistan.

Trump convened a crisis meeting to address the escalating situation in the Strait, where approximately 21 percent of global petroleum passes through daily. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council is currently evaluating new US proposals that were transmitted through Pakistani intermediaries, though the blockade remains a fundamental point of contention.

Trump publicly warned Tehran that it “can’t blackmail us,” characterizing Iran’s closure announcement as coercive rather than a legitimate response to American military aggression. The administration’s threats to eliminate Iranian vessels violating the blockade and consideration of military strikes have narrowed diplomatic pathways and intensified the crisis.

The standoff represents a significant escalation from Trump’s announcement of the blockade following failed negotiations, with both sides now locked in a direct confrontation over control of the strategic waterway and regional naval dominance.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/trump-iran-war-latest-strait-of-hormuz-b2960383.html)

Trump signs executive order accelerating research into psychedelic drug therapies despite known deaths

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on April 18, 2026, to accelerate federal approval and research of psychedelic drug therapies, particularly ibogaine, for treating PTSD, depression, and addiction. Trump announced the order in the Oval Office alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Dr. Mehmet Oz, and podcaster Joe Rogan, framing the initiative as benefiting veterans with severe mental health conditions.

Ibogaine remains classified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance with limited human research and documented serious safety risks, including potentially fatal heart arrhythmias, neurological complications, and gastrointestinal side effects. The Drug Enforcement Agency designates it as having high abuse potential and no currently accepted medical use, though Trump claimed the order would eliminate “unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles” in the approval process.

Psilocybin, found in psychedelic mushrooms, has stronger clinical evidence than ibogaine for treating depression and received FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation for treatment-resistant cases. A Nature Medicine review of 12 studies showed psilocybin combined with psychotherapy produced response rates nearly three times higher and remission rates approximately four times higher than control groups, though long-term safety data and real-world effectiveness remain uncertain.

MDMA, used for PTSD treatment, failed to gain FDA approval in 2024 despite its Breakthrough designation due to concerns over clinical trial conduct, inconsistent results, and safety issues requiring additional research. The executive order directs the FDA to expedite review of psychedelics already designated as breakthrough therapy drugs and provides expedited rescheduling for any psychedelics later approved by the FDA for medical treatment.

Kennedy, who has criticized antidepressants and conventional mental health therapies, influenced the executive order through direct advocacy to Trump. Researchers emphasize that psychedelic treatments require careful medical supervision in controlled settings, with major safety concerns and limited data on long-term effects, even as early studies focus on severe, treatment-resistant mental health conditions.

(Source: https://abcnews.com/Health/trump-signs-executive-order-accelerating-research-psychedelic-drug/story?id=132171927)

Kash Patel Says He’s Suing Over Report Claiming He’s Repeatedly Been Intoxicated in Public While FBI Director – Yahoo News UK

FBI Director Kash Patel announced plans to sue The Atlantic after the publication reported that he had struggled to log into a computer system on April 10, initially believing he had been fired by President Trump. According to the article by Sarah Fitzpatrick, Patel panicked and frantically contacted aides and allies about his supposed termination, with nine sources describing his behavior and two characterizing it as a “freak-out,” though the lockout was later determined to be a technical issue unrelated to any personnel action.

The Atlantic’s report also detailed allegations that Patel had been intoxicated in public at restaurants in Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas. The publication claimed that members of his security detail had experienced difficulty waking Patel on multiple occasions due to excessive alcohol consumption, and that a request for breaching equipment typically used by SWAT teams was made after Patel became unreachable behind locked doors.

Patel’s response came through FBI spokesperson Erica Knight, who dismissed the reporting as “fabricated” and announced a lawsuit would be filed. Patel himself posted on X stating he would meet the outlet “in court” and accused it of producing “fake news,” suggesting the actual malice standard required in defamation cases would favor his legal position.

FBI Assistant Director Benjamin Williamson released a statement calling the article “one of the most absurd things” he had read, characterizing it as “completely false reporting at a nearly 100% clip” despite a tight two-hour deadline provided to the publication for response. The statement was included in Patel’s social media post as supporting documentation for his claims of inaccurate reporting.

(Source: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/kash-patel-says-suing-over-031725423.html)

1 2 3 … 451