Random comments/reports . . .

Not so much America First as Israel First.

Trump says Iran war will last four to five weeks but could go ‘far longer’. . . . He undercut the gravity of his remarks by abruptly pivoting to tout his plans for a new White House ballroom. Trump spoke about gold curtains at a White House Medal of Honor ceremony. This event honored 3 American veterans, including posthumous awards for Afghanistan and WWII heroes. While addressing the audience amid ongoing US military operations—which have resulted in American casualties—Trump shifted focus to renovations, praising the ornate golden drapes he chose during his first term and touting potential cost savings on a new ballroom.

President Trump didn’t take our questions on Iran, but he did stop to look at the new statues in the Rose Garden. All he said to us was “Unbelievable statues come take a look at them”.

So far we’ve heard that although we killed the whole Iranian regime, this was not a regime change war. And although we obliterated their nuclear program, we had to do this because of their nuclear program. And although Iran was not planning any attacks on the US, they also might have been, depending on who you ask. And although we are not fighting this war to free the Iranian people, they are now free, or might be, depending on who seizes power, and we have no idea who that will be. The messaging on this thing is, to put it mildly, confused.

No senior administration officials appeared on the Sunday shows to explain Iran war — but Trump seems to answer every call from a reporter with his number. He even called one of them himself.

The President is taking foreign policy calls from someone [Laura Loomer, a far-right ‘influencer’] who got banned from Uber, DoorDash, and half the internet.

Laura Loomer: With supporters the calibre of this . . . .

David Rothkopf: Trump is the most vile human being that the US has ever produced. and he is surrounded by evil people. The Epstein cover-up they are involved in is a huge crime.

One of those evil [imbecilic?] people at work . . . Pete Hegseth sets the tone for Trump’s politically incorrect war on Iran. In a combative press conference, the Pentagon chief dodged questions about the goals of the US military’s Iran operation and reframed the operation as an act of resistance against political correctness

Trump’s niece:

Finally . . . Susan Glasser, of the New Yorker: Bragging about his ‘beautiful ballroom’ while he’s supposed to be explaining the somber decision to go to war. It’s one of the most politically tone deaf things I’ve ever seen from a president of the USA, including this one.