Jun 25 2025

Credit Where Due – Majority Leader John Thune Eyes Friday for Senate BBB Votes to Begin

Posted originally on CTH on June 24, 2025 | Sundance

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.

(Via Axios) – Senate Majority Leader John Thune expects to start voting Friday on President Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill,” he told Axios in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.

Why it matters: This would have them voting into the weekend, and it would upend the House’s recess next week. But Thune (R-S.D.) is confident Congress will meet its self-imposed July 4 deadline to get a bill on Trump’s desk.

Thune said Friday was looking more likely for an initial vote than Thursday, setting up the potential for a weekend slog.

“I think we get on it, and then we will plow through, and we’ll get into vote-a-rama and grind it out until — until whenever,” the leader said. “It’s just the nature of the beast at the end.”

Johnson told House Republicans “not to leave town” this weekend in case the Senate gets a bill passed, Politico reported Tuesday. (read more)

We anticipate that once the BBB is completed, obviously there will be a celebration – a news cycle for the White House and legislative leadership to promote & celebrate, and then President Trump will likely shift straight into the details of the trade agreements being constructed in the background by Secretary Lutnick, Secretary Bessent and USTR Jamieson Greer.

As the trade aspect is underway from the oval office, expect Secretary Rubio and Steve Witkoff to be reengaged with Ukraine-Russia. By mid July we should see multiple announcements of trade agreements, while simultaneously the foreign policy focus of Rubio and Witkoff should start to materialize into substantive change.

Jun 25 2025

NATO Nervously Awaits Godzilla Trump’s Arrival, Pre-Stage Agreement for Big Spending Increase

Posted originally on CTH on June 24, 2025 | Sundance

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)

Great Britain – LONDON — Keir Starmer has confirmed the U.K. will hit NATO’s target of spending 5 percent of GDP on defense by 2035 as he prepares to meet other western leaders in The Hague. The British prime minister hailed the move as “an opportunity to deepen our commitment to NATO and drive greater investment in the nation’s wider security.”

Making the pledge alongside the publication of a new national security strategy, Starmer specified the U.K. was on course to reach 4.1 percent of GDP on defense by 2027. (read more)

Godzilla Trump did not discuss his planned bombing of the Iranian nuclear sites in advance of his strikes and the EU is not quite sure what to do or say about that.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to be in attendance at the NATO conference, despite Ukraine not being a NATO member.

(Via Fox) – […] The President’s time at the summit will be brief, spending approximately 24 hours on the ground. His meetings “will focus on issues of shared concern and reaffirm the United States strong ties with our allies and partners,” according to an administration official.

But they come after Trump can boast of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

“It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE (in approximately 6 hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions!), for 12 hours, at which point the War will be considered, ENDED!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Rutte has suggested NATO would stand behind the U.S. after Iran launched a counterstrike on its air base in Qatar, following American attacks on three Iranian nuclear sites.

“My biggest fear would be for Iran to own and be able to use a nuclear weapon,” Rutte told reporters ahead of the summit. (more)

Jun 25 2025

President Trump Impromptu Presser Aboard Air Force One – Audio Only

Posted originally on CTH on June 24, 2025 | Sundance

President Donald Trump gives brief remarks to the media aboard Air Force One (audio only for first minute). The first segment of the questions and answers deals with President Trump talking to Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel agreeing not to strike, to turn around and return their planes home.

President Trump reaffirmed that he does not want to see regime change in Iran and that things can be settled without conflict if all parties engage with honesty and integrity. The conversation then moves to the NATO summit which begins later tonight. WATCH (Video starts at 1:40)

Jun 25 2025

Chopper Presser – President Trump: “I’m Not Happy With Israel, I’m Not Happy At All”

June 24, 2025 | Sundance

It’s all right there for those who have eyes to see and do not pretend.

Chopper Pressers are the best pressers. Departing the White House President Trump leads off his initial remarks by saying. … “And I’m talking directly to Israel right now”… “I’m not happy with Israel, I’m not happy at all.” President Trump repeats.

President Trump is speaking about the increased fire the Israeli government conducted, as soon as the ceasefire was announced, and again talking about the ongoing retaliation fire that Israel is taking right now to a single Iran rocket that missed any Israeli target. “Israel needs to calm down,” he continued.

Then, to drive home the point and express his frustration, President Trump says, “we basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard, that they don’t know WHAT THE FUCK THEY’RE DOING! Do you understand that?” He then turns his back in disgust and walks away. WATCH:

This week wasn’t just about stopping Iran. It was also about taking Israel’s “Iran has nukes!” card off the table.

Jun 24 2025

Supreme Court (6-3 Decision) Lifts Injunction From Lower Court on Deportations – Judge Says Defy Supreme Court, Injunction Remains

Posted originally on CTH on June 24, 2025 | Sundance

Activist U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy previously blocked President Trump from deporting criminal illegal aliens to non-originating countries, as many countries refused to take back their criminal aliens. The administration appealed the injunction to the Supreme Court and the high court ruled in favor of the Trump administration and DHS [SCOTUS RULING HERE]

However, after the high court lifted the block, Judge Murphy doubled down on his injunction, saying the Supreme Court decision does not pertain to his order.

WASHINGTON DC – The Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for the Trump administration to swiftly deport foreigners to countries where they have no previous ties.

The justices lifted an order from a federal judge in Boston who had placed restrictions on the deportations to those countries. U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy had issued a nationwide injunction that required the administration to give immigrants “meaningful” advance notice and a chance to raise objections before they are sent to so-called third countries — nations not specified in their original deportation orders. But the Supreme Court granted the Trump administration’s emergency request to put Murphy’s injunction on hold.(more)

In response to the Supreme Court overruling his decision, U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy said late Monday that his injunction blocking the deportation of certain non-citizens to South Sudan and other third-party countries “remains in full force and effect.”

JUST IN: Stephen Miller says to expect “fireworks” tomorrow when the Trump admin holds a Boston judge accountable for defying the Supreme Court.

Miller’s comment comes after the Supreme Court voted to allow the Trump admin to send illegals to countries other than their… pic.twitter.com/DmUR6KVHxo
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 24, 2025

Jun 24 2025

Easy Peasy – Iran Retaliates With Missiles Targeting Previously Evacuated Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar

Posted originally on CTH on June 23, 2025 | Sundance

A few surface points. The time of day, just after 8pm local reflects an “attack” intended to be intercepted, reviewed and assessed. The target U.S. base in Qatar, an intermediary and friendly geopolitical ally to Iran, reflects coordination to give optics of retaliation in name only. No doubt Iran coordinated this retaliatory strike with Qatar. The scale, 6 easily intercepted missiles.

In summary, a response from Iran intended for domestic consumption to give/save regional face for Persians.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards, in an official statement:

In response to the attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, we carried out a powerful and devastating missile strike against a strategic asset – the largest American airbase in the Middle East. Any repetition of U.S. aggression will accelerate the collapse of the American military establishment in the region.

Qatar condemns the puff-n-bluster ballistic missile attack by Iran on U.S. Al Udeid Air Base, adding that all of the missiles were intercepted and that there are no reported injuries so far. If Iran does it again, they will be met with a more strongly worded letter.

In return Iran’s top security body tells Qatar: “THIS ACTION DOES NOT POSE ANY THREAT TO ‘OUR FRIENDLY AND BROTHERLY’ NEIGHBOUR QATAR”

Iran’s military claimed it had carried out a “devastating and powerful” missile attack on the Al Udeid U.S. military base in Doha, but Qatar said the missiles were intercepted. Qatari officials said the nation reserves the right to respond directly and in accordance with international law after Iran tried to strike the base.

A U.S. defense official confirmed to USA TODAY that Al Udeid Air Base was attacked by short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles originating from Iran. There were no reports of U.S. casualties, the official said.

President Donald Trump is in the Situation Room with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, a senior Department of Defense official told ABC News.

Trump was scheduled to meet with his national security team in the Oval Office at 1 p.m. on Monday afternoon, but the meeting was moved to the Situation Room as reports came in of Iran’s attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar. A U.S. official said the U.S. intercepted Iranian missiles with assistance from Qatar.

The proverbial “response” ball is back on Donald Trump’s side of the court.

Jun 24 2025

The “Next Move” Belongs to Iran

Posted originally on CTH on June 23, 2025 | Sundance

Jonathan Karl is not known for his pragmatic pontification, however in the framework of what comes next following the U.S. bombing of Iran, he’s correct. The next move is entirely up to Iran, and for the moment that puts the decision to escalate outside the control of President Trump.

As Karl outlines, President Trump was adamant the strikes against the Iranian nuclear sites were “one and done.” However, the underlying consideration in the background was the contingency planning for what comes next. As Karl accurately notes, this puts the power of escalation in the hands of Iran. If Iran strikes U.S. military facilities, President Trump will be pulled into a larger military response, and so – the potential for the escalation spiral begins.

ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl spoke to President Donald Trump about what he hopes these attacks on Iran will accomplish. WATCH:

I think most agree that we do not want to see Iran gaining nuclear weapons power. However, most Americans also do not want to get pulled into a protracted conflict in the middle east again. It is a tenuous moment.

Jun 24 2025

Karoline Leavitt Responds to Questions About President Trump’s “Regime Change” Suggestion

Posted originally on CTH on June 23, 2025 | Sundance

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt responded to reporters questions today about President Trump suggesting “regime change” in Iran as an objective. WATCH:

“The President’s posture and our military posture has not changed. The President was just simply raising a question that I think many people around the world are asking. If the Iranian regime refuses to give up their nuclear program or engage in talks – we just took out their nuclear program on Saturday night as you all know – but if they refuse to engage in diplomacy moving why shouldn’t the Iranian people rise up against this brutal terrorist regime? That’s a question the President raised last night. But as far as our military posture, it hasn’t changed.”