Morning Brief: Israel On Offense And ‘Maryland Man’ Abandoned

Israel and Iran continue to exchange fire, President Donald Trump doubles down on deportations, and have Democrats abandoned the deported “Maryland father” they once embraced?

It’s Tuesday, June 17, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.

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The Israel-Iran Air War Rages As U.S. Stays On The Sidelines

Topline: Israel strikes Tehran as the deadly clash moves into its fifth day, leaving Iran scrambling.

The war between Israel and Iran continued to escalate Monday, as the Jewish state looks to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program. The two sides began targeting energy facilities in addition to military sites. Iran, for example, successfully struck an Israeli oil refinery in Haifa, while the Israelis targeted multiple natural gas and oil refineries throughout Iran. One of those strikes caused major damage to Tehran’s largest fuel depot. Another strike Monday targeted Iran’s state-sponsored TV network — in stunning footage, a newscaster can be seen running from her desk as debris falls around her.

Iran has so far launched nearly 400 missiles and drones at Israel, though only a few dozen have made it past Israeli air defenses. Those strikes have reportedly killed 24 people and injured more than 600. But there’s no doubt Israel is having far more success so far, mainly because it achieved near total control of Iran’s airspace, which has allowed Israel to rely on warplanes for their strikes, instead of expensive long-range missiles.

“Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign,” President Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday night. “What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!” Almost immediately afterward, roads out of Tehran were sent into gridlock with endless lines of cars trying to flee the city in the middle of the night.

President Trump also convened a late-night meeting of the National Security Council, prompting speculation that he was planning on an attack, but a White House spokesman said Monday night that “American forces are maintaining their defensive posture, and that has not changed.” The United States recently diverted one of its aircraft carriers, USS Nimitz, and its escorts to the Middle East from the Pacific, further fueling speculation about possible U.S. intervention in the conflict.

President Trump has continued to stand by Israel, saying his administration would support its efforts against Iran, but has stopped short of committing American forces to the conflict, despite growing pressure from Israel for U.S. backing. In particular, Israel reportedly wants America’s help in knocking out Iran’s Fordow uranium enrichment site, which is buried deep underground. The U.S. is believed to be the only country with the bunker buster bombs and large bomber aircraft necessary for taking out such a facility, and Israel has been clear that this operation will not be considered a success until Fordow is destroyed.

There’s also been speculation that the conflict, which has already killed dozens of senior Iranian officials, could cause the collapse of the Iranian regime, although Israel has said that is not their primary goal.

“[The Israelis are] not in a position to implement regime change,” Dr. Paul Rahe, a professor of History at Hillsdale College, told The Daily Wire. “That has to be done on the ground. They can’t send thousands and thousands of Israelis in, take the place over, kill off the mullahs, and then put somebody in power. But there is a strong opposition within Iran to the regime. … Things aren’t great now there. There’s a lot of discontent.”

The Deportations Will Continue Until Law-Abiding Improves

Topline: President Trump doubles down on deportations amid the spread of anti-ICE protests and riots.

President Trump has made it clear that his administration would be ramping up efforts to deport illegals – specifically in blue cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, all of which have policies to shield illegals from federal immigration officials. Trump said there will be a focus on “crime-ridden and deadly inner cities, and those places where Sanctuary Cities play such a big role.” He added that he’s directed his entire administration to put every resource possible behind this effort, and reverse the tide of “Mass Destruction Migration.”

“Biden allowed 21 million people to come into our country,” President Trump said on Monday. “Vast numbers of those people were murderers, killers, people from gangs, people from jails, they emptied their jails out into the U.S. Most of those people are in the cities – all blue cities, all Democrat-run cities.”

Trump said ICE, the FBI, DEA, ATF, and officials at the Pentagon and the State Department will carry out this agenda, and added that illegals will be brought back to their home countries. In the last month, a number of officers have been injured during anti-ICE riots, and dozens of demonstrators have been arrested. Unsurprisingly, Trump gave his full support to these agents. He applauded them for their strength and courage, and condemned violence and harassment directed their way.

Trump also criticized Democrats for the heated rhetoric they’ve used about ICE. Last month, Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz compared ICE agents to the Gestapo. During a Congressional hearing, Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) also compared ICE agents to Nazis, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) compared detention facilities at the border to concentration camps.

Democrats Noticeably Silent As ‘Maryland Man’ Goes To Trial

Topline: Have Democrats abandoned the so-called “Maryland man” they once championed? We have the latest on Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

Abrego Garcia, the illegal immigrant also known as a “Maryland man” who was embraced by Democrats when he was deported to El Salvador, appeared in federal court in Nashville Friday on federal smuggling charges – he pled not guilty.

The DOJ’s criminal case against Abrego Garcia — not his immigration case — centers on a traffic stop in Tennessee from November 2022, when Abrego Garcia was pulled over while driving a car with nine people inside, including a 15-year-old boy, most of whom have been identified as illegal aliens. If convicted, he faces 10 years in prison for each illegal alien he smuggled, and a $250,000 fine. He was brought back to the United States last week after being deported to El Salvador. He is suspected of having ties to the MS-13 gang.

“I’ve been closely monitoring this case, waiting to see if some dark money group would put up the millions of dollars necessary to get him a really good criminal defense attorney or a number of criminal defense attorneys,” Tom Pappert, a reporter for the Tennessee Star, told The Daily Wire. “After more than a week, Kilmar Abrego-Garcia is represented by a number of public defenders with the federal office of Middle Tennessee. Now, this indicates to me, it seems like the Democrats are cutting and running. They’ve realized that this is a losing battle for them and it’s not worth the millions of dollars necessary to get this guy probably to a plea deal.”

During the six-hour arraignment, new allegations against Abrego Garcia were made public. A Homeland Security agent testified that multiple alleged accomplices claimed Abrego Garcia asked a 15-year-old girl for nude photos on Snapchat. His lawyers called this a “flirtatious event.”

Federal prosecutors have requested that Abrego Garcia remain in federal custody until trial. The decision is pending, but if the judge denies the request, he could be transferred to ICE custody for proceedings in immigration court. Either way, it looks like he will not be released.