If you assert the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan were taken exclusively to remove the capacity of Iran to create a nuclear weapon, you are likely missing a key point. However, if you recognize the strikes were not only about eliminating Iran’s nuclear capacity but also about taking Israel’s “Iran has nukes!” card off the table, then you begin to understand the after action message from the Trump administration.

Essentially, by removing the Iran nuclear threat, the overall influence from Israel on President Trump’s foreign policy objective is also lessened. Within that dynamic you will see why President Trump, Secretary/NSA Rubio and the inner national security circle are so strongly emphasizing the “totally destroyed” message. WATCH:

The inverse of the successful Iran strike narrative is also true. If the strikes against Iran are defined as not eliminating the nuclear threat, then a continuance of national security influence on behalf of Israel is maintained.

Unfortunately, for the deepest part of the U.S. intelligence apparatus, maintaining the usefulness of the Iran nuclear threat is aligned with their interests. Hence, we begin to see why the intelligence apparatus immediately began trying to diminish the effectiveness of the strikes with leaks to CNN [SEE HERE].

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President Trump and his national security team held a meeting with NATO Sec.-Gen. Mark Rutte during the 2025 NATO Summit in the Hague, Netherlands, and took questions from the media.

Interestingly, NATO Secretary Mark Rutte emphasizes the new commitment from Canada repeatedly.  As one of the worst offenders to adhere to their NATO obligations, and against the backdrop of tariffs and targeted trade negotiations, obviously Canada is trying to position themselves against the Trump economic agenda.

Secondly, the emphasis is again on the damage assessment from the U.S. bombing of the Iran nuclear facilities.  This is critical for President Trump to break free of the intelligence community control over U.S. foreign policy expanded in the next outline.  WATCH:

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In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

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Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

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When Mary McCord’s friend, Laura Ingraham, asks Steve Witkoff about the leaked classified intelligence reports shaped to say the Iran nuclear hits did not do much damage, Witkoff gives details of the damage created.

As noted by Witkoff in the lead up to this review, the fighting is over, Iran is defeated.  WATCH (prompted):

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The scope of intelligence community control over information, including information from new and traditional media, is so extensive, I would challenge everyone to be exceptionally cautious about the background motives of all media personalities.  For what seems like every single MSM pundit or journalist in/around Washington DC, if you dig deep enough things get troubling.  Trust your instincts.

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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is not known as a man who pretends. Orban speaks plainly, directly and without pretense.  During his open media segment at the beginning of the NATO summit the media demanded to know if he thought Russia was a threat and how he felt about Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy being present at the assembly.

Orban being Orban delivered the response the Europeans did not want to hear.  Trump is great. Russia is not scary. The biggest threat to the EU is their continued slide away from competitive economics.  As to Zelenskyy, NATO has no business in Ukraine.  WATCH: 

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Representative Al Green’s effort to impeach President Trump over the nuclear strikes in Iran failed miserably.  Even the majority of Democrats would not go along with it.  Caveman big sad.

WASHINGTON DC – Most House Democrats joined with Republicans on Tuesday to quash an effort to impeach President Donald Trump over his weekend Iran strikes.

Rep. Al Green’s impeachment resolution was tabled on a 344-79 vote, with 128 Democrats joining all 216 Republicans to kill the measure.

Those included House Democratic leaders, who have been wary of pursuing new impeachments after two prior Trump impeachments failed during his first term. Still, dozens of Democrats voted to keep Green’s resolution alive. (read more)

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President Donald Trump was greeted warmly by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima the current monarchs of the Netherlands, during his arrival to the NATO summit.  Queen Maxima appears to have taken a page from the wardrobe of First Lady Melania Trump. After all the formal introductions, a family photo of the NATO group was held.  WATCH: 

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Cautious optimism is warranted, however it looks like Senate Majority Leader John Thune is pushing hard to hit the deadlines set by President Trump for passage of the Big Beautiful Bill (BBB) reconciliation package.

Speaking today right before a meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senator Thune noted he is optimistic the Senate can finalize their negotiations on the BBB over the next two days, setting up the Senate to hold their first cloture votes on Friday and a vote-a-rama through the weekend.

President Trump is still assisting Leader Thune with phone calls to Senate republicans between foreign policy engagements.  Trump is only staying in the Netherlands for 24 hours so he can quickly get back to DC to assist in any arm-twisting needed by Thune or Johnson.

According to Politico, House Speaker Mike Johnson has cautioned House representatives to stay in town this weekend and be prepared to reconcile both bills and vote on the package as soon as it exits the Senate.   As many of you are aware, this is a critical legislative package containing a large amount of President Trump’s America First policy priorities.

As things stand right now, it looks like Thune is going to try and get the package into voting position on Friday, with immediate votes to take place.  We are critical of Thune when warranted, but should also appreciate the work of the Majority Leader when he is structurally supportive of the MAGA agenda.

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The NATO summit begins officially tonight in the Hague, Netherlands.  However, most of the NATO members arrived early so their collective assembly could strategize a defense against the arrival of Godzilla Trump.

Unfortunately, Godzilla Trump began his journey to the EU today by using a very emphatic F-bomb directed at Iran and Israel.  Netanyahu promptly apologized, reversed his antagonistic enterprise and ducked for cover.  A grouchy Godzilla is not what the EU leaders want to be facing.  Grimaces abound.

To appease the painfully, brutally and uncomfortably honest President Trump the EU have agreed among themselves to increase their defense spending quickly, to the very Trumpian 5% of GDP with 3.5% spent on direct military arms.

GERMANY – […] “We will decide to invest significantly more in our security,” Merz told the Bundestag ahead of the NATO leaders’ summit in The Hague. “Not to do the United States a favor — but because Russia actively threatens the freedom of the entire Euro-Atlantic area.”

A day before the speech, Berlin confirmed it would raise military spending to 3.5 percent of gross domestic product by 2029 — Germany’s most ambitious rearmament effort since the end of the Cold War. (more)

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