President Donald Trump and a number in his administration have suggested that Democrats and media were actively rooting for the United States to lose the war with Iran — and one New York Times columnist gave a striking example of that during a Saturday interview on CNN.
Foreign affairs columnist Thomas Friedman admitted that he felt torn over fully backing the United States in the ongoing Operation Epic Fury, saying that he wanted the Iranian regime to fall but that he wasn&#8217;t sure it was worth the cost of elevating President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Friedman told CNN host Michael Smerconish that he was all for the end of the Iranian regime, but that it was the likelihood the credit — and with that credit, political capital — would go to Trump and Netanyahu that gave him pause.
WATCH:
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Don’t want Iran to lose if it means Trump wins. <a href="https://twitter.com/tomfriedman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TomFriedman</a> of <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYTimes</a> really wants “to see Iran defeated militarily because this regime is a terrible regime for its people and the region,” but on CNN’s <a href="https://twitter.com/smerconish?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Smerconish</a> he fretted “the problem is I really don’t want to see Bibi… <a href="https://t.co/rgPngGXkGc">pic.twitter.com/rgPngGXkGc</a>
— Brent Baker 🇺🇲🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@BrentHBaker) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentHBaker/status/2043048290523005341?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I find myself, Michael, in a situation where I really want to see Iran defeated militarily because this regime is a terrible regime for the people and the region,&#8221; he explained, saying that the best thing for the Iranian people — and for the region across the board — would be a regime change that resulted in leadership that allowed the people to flourish and thrive.
&#8220;I&#8217;m all for that. The problem is I really don’t want to see Bibi Netanyahu or Donald Trump politically strengthened by this war because they are two awful human beings,&#8221; Friedman continued. &#8220;They are both engaged in anti-democratic projects in their own countries. They’re both alleged crooks. They are terrible, terrible people doing terrible things to America’s standing in the world and Israel’s standing in the world.&#8221;
&#8220;And so I really find myself torn,&#8221; Friedman concluded, saying that he was trying to balance his support for a new regime in Iran against his fears that Trump or Netanyahu might get a share of the credit for helping to  bring that about.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump

NYT Journo Admits He Was ‘Torn’ On Rooting For U.S. In Iran War

NYT Journo Admits He Was 'Torn' On Rooting For U.S. In Iran War

Benjamin Netanyahu

Donald Trump

Iran

Israel

Media

New York Times

Politics

United States

Maine Democrat Graham Platner, who is running for the U.S. Senate in Maine, faced backlash for his Nazi-symbol tattoo and several nasty social media posts — and during a recent interview, he attributed both on the &#8220;culture&#8221; that he was exposed to while serving in the United States military.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nazi-tattoo-guy-has-chuck-schumers-handpicked-candidate-on-the-ropes">Platner</a>, who served both in the Marine Corps and the U.S. Army, got the tattoo <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/graham-platner-has-known-about-his-tattoos-nazi-connotations-since-2012">covered up</a> after the initial public outcry, appeared on &#8220;The Takeout with Major Garrett&#8221; — and he argued that the &#8220;hyper-masculine&#8221; culture in the infantry had &#8220;colored&#8221; his perspective in the past.
WATCH:
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In response to controversy surrounding a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol and comments he made previously on Reddit, Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner says &#8220;much of it was because of the culture I had come out of.&#8221;
&#8220;When I left the military, I came out of a… <a href="https://t.co/C069CLxuDb">pic.twitter.com/C069CLxuDb</a>
— CBS News (@CBSNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/2042731438223601840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Graham, there have been a lot of things said about you. Things that you have written on Reddit, a tattoo you had and a controversy around that, and I want to ask you this, because I don&#8217;t think it&#8217;s been put to you this way before: Is there anything you&#8217;ve done or said that you regret that did not come from the stresses you internalized from Post-Traumatic Stress itself? That is to say, is PTSD the explanation for everything, or did you also just make some additional human errors that you want to explain or contextualize?&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ll be up front,&#8221; Platner said, adding that he&#8217;d never blamed his past behavior solely on the fact that he&#8217;d been diagnosed with PTSD.
&#8220;When I left the military, I came out of a hyper-masculine, hyper-violent place. I did four tours in the infantry. We have a crude sense of humor in the infantry. We certainly have a, I would say, narrow view of a lot of topics, and that colored my opinions and my beliefs,&#8221; Platner continued.
He went on to claim that it wasn&#8217;t until he got out of the military and spent time with different people that his thoughts and opinions began to change over time.
Platner went on to say that he didn&#8217;t believe his past opinions were related to his combat service necessarily, but said that &#8220;much of it was because of the culture I had come out of, and over the years in between, I&#8217;ve met a lot more people, had a lot more experiences, learned a lot more about the world, and my opinions have changed with it.&#8221;
Platner is currently polling well ahead of Governor Janet Mills (D-ME). Whoever wins the primary will face incumbent Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) in November&#8217;s general election.

Maine Democrat Graham Platner Is Winning Voters All ‘Pissed At The Same Thing’

Nazi Tattoo Dem Blames U.S. Army ‘Culture’ For Ink, Nasty Social Media Posts

2026 Midterms

graham platner

Maine

CNN&#8217;s Michael Smerconish laid waste to calls for the 25th Amendment to be invoked against President Donald Trump — based on claims that President Donald Trump was erratic and out of control — saying that the &#8220;madness&#8221; was simply part of his process.
Smerconish argued that if Trump were truly a candidate for removal via the 25th Amendment — reserved for a president who is incapacitated or rendered incapable of doing his job — there would be signs that permeated the rest of his life outside his bombastic social media posts.
WATCH:
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🚨NEW: CNN&#8217;s Michael Smerconish *OBLITERATES* calls to remove Trump from office🚨
&#8220;You&#8217;d expect the guy that posts about a whole civilization dying would be simultaneously busting up the White House furniture — but there&#8217;s NEVER been ANY reporting of Trump like that behind… <a href="https://t.co/gA2bnbRcnj">pic.twitter.com/gA2bnbRcnj</a>
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/2042987757987856866?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;A crazy person doesn&#8217;t live in the White House. A person who plays a crazy person a lot on TV lives there,&#8221; Smerconish began, attributing the statement to comedian and HBO host Bill Maher.
The CNN host went on to lay out some of the president&#8217;s recent social media posts directed at Iran — specifically his demand that they &#8220;open the f*ckin&#8217; strait&#8221; and his later prediction stating &#8220;a whole civilization will die tonight&#8221; — which Democrats had cited as evidence that Trump was too erratic to be president. They quickly ramped up calls to either invoke the 25th Amendment against him or impeach him for a third time.
But as Smerconish then explained, the deliberative and lengthy process by which Trump came to the decision to launch Operation Epic Fury — detailed in a recent New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/trump-iran-war.html">report</a> — was anything but erratic. The decision was reached only after days of meetings, both with the Israelis and without them, that took into account potential strategies and logistics.
&#8220;In contrast to those offensive and intemperate Truth Social posts, which were intended for Tehran, this window into pre-war decision making was for the Americans,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It shows airing of competing views, some open to dissent, reliance on legal counsel, and a deliberative process — not the impulsivity with which Trump is so often associated. There&#8217;s nothing in the Times&#8217; behind-closed-doors account of an unstable Trump at the same time that he was playing the madman card in public.&#8221;
&#8220;You&#8217;d expect the guy that posts about a whole civilization dying would be simultaneously busting up the White House furniture — but there&#8217;s NEVER been ANY reporting of Trump like that behind closed doors,&#8221; Smerconish observed, arguing that someone who was truly unhinged would necessarily exhibit that in other areas of his life. &#8220;In other words, it&#8217;s not that there&#8217;s a method to his madness — it&#8217;s that the madness IS his method.&#8221;
&#8220;Trump is capable of EXACTLY what his critics say he isn&#8217;t: patience, process and genuine deliberation,&#8221; he added. &#8220;90 minutes before his own deadline, a ceasefire materialized. That&#8217;s NOT nothing. &#8230; It&#8217;s certainly not the behavior of someone who needs the 25th Amendment invoked or warrants impeaching.&#8221;

WH Briefing Iran 4/6/26

CNN’s Smerconish Nukes 25th Amendment Claims On Trump: ‘Madness Is His Method’

CNN's Smerconish Nukes 25th Amendment Claims On Trump: ‘Madness Is His Method’

Michael Smerconish

Democratic Maryland Governor Wes Moore is attacking his state&#8217;s largest newspaper, The Baltimore Sun, for investigating his political record and probing potential falsehoods concerning his upbringing and military service.
The Baltimore Sun is collaborating with sister television station Sinclair to scrutinize Gov. Wes Moore as he gears up for reelection and weighs a 2028 run for the White House, <a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/04/05/2026/marylands-biggest-newspaper-is-going-after-the-governors-2028-campaign?utm_medium=media&amp;utm_campaign=flagshipnumbered1&amp;utm_source=newslettercta">Semafor reported</a>.
The investigative series, <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/tag/spotlight-on-maryland/">Spotlight Maryland</a>, includes FOX45 News, WJLA in Washington, D.C., and The Baltimore Sun. These outlets will examine whether Moore exaggerated his military service and investigate the athletic scholarships he received in college.
Reporters with Spotlight Maryland have exchanged tense emails with Wes Moore&#8217;s staff, citing frustration over what they describe as a lack of transparency.
“Our news team will continue pursuing this matter until they are satisfied that there is either no story &#8211; or until further investigation shows that events did not occur as they should have,” the team wrote in one letter to Moore’s office <a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/04/05/2026/marylands-biggest-newspaper-is-going-after-the-governors-2028-campaign?utm_medium=media&amp;utm_campaign=flagshipnumbered1&amp;utm_source=newslettercta">obtained by Semafor</a>. “If our team finds the latter, they will report that. … We are also prepared to present our findings and concerns to the Secretary of the Army’s office; and if gets to that point, we fully expect it will have become a national level news story requiring the Army Secretary’s attention.”
Moore’s team has complained that the investigation is &#8220;needlessly hostile and politically motivated,&#8221; according to Semafor.
Then, the liberal governor ran to MS NOW.
&#8220;The Baltimore Sun used to be our paper of record,&#8221; Moore <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:jutl4tq6nqhumm5exzk52f5t/post/3mixau63lak2m">told former Biden White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki</a>. &#8220;It&#8217;s now become the paper of the right-wing.&#8221;
Moore complained that in 2024, media executive David Smith, the executive chairman of Sinclair Broadcast Group, <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/01/15/baltimore-sun-media-sold-david-d-smith/">bought the paper</a>.
&#8220;I think we&#8217;ve seen how their readership continued to decline, but it&#8217;s happened because you&#8217;ve had a MAGA billionaire who is now currying favor for the President of the United States,&#8221; Moore said.
The liberal governor added that he was &#8220;deeply proud&#8221; of his military service and claimed nobody in the U.S. Army questions his integrity.
In 2024, The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/29/us/politics/wes-moore-bronze-star.html">New York Times</a> reported that Moore falsely claimed on a 2006 White House fellowship application that he had been awarded a Bronze Star for his military service while deployed in Afghanistan.
&#8220;The soldiers I served with don&#8217;t question my integrity,&#8221; Moore said. &#8220;But we are seeing how the right wing and these right-wing billionaires like David Smith is then using his wealth to be able to manipulate local media.&#8221;
Spotlight on Maryland executive producer and managing editor <a href="https://x.com/candynotcandace/status/2041903427786068360?s=20">Candy Woodall called out</a> Democrats for &#8220;putting in a lot of work to discredit a series before it&#8217;s even started running.&#8221;
&#8220;This is standard journalism to scrutinize the words and records of elected officials and candidates who hold positions of power and public trust,&#8221; Woodall said. &#8220;If you want to know more, keep reading The Baltimore Sun, a 200-year-old newspaper that has survived many governors.&#8221;

Wes Moore

Dem Presidential Hopeful Flails At Local Newspaper For Daring To Investigate His Record

Corruption

Democratic Party

Elections

Journalism

CNN anchor Jake Tapper and former director of the National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent traded barbs over media coverage of Operation Epic Fury and Iranian state-promoted propaganda.
Kent, who abruptly left his position in the United States intelligence community over President Donald Trump&#8217;s military operation in Iran, spurred the back-and-forth when he commented on the ongoing rescue mission to retrieve an airman from behind enemy lines in Iran.
&#8220;Praying for the rescue of our downed pilot &amp; the safe return of our Special Operators going in to get him back. USAF PJs &amp; CSAR Air crews are top notch,&#8221; Kent <a href="https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/2040578006230462496">posted</a>, but also shared a report from Drop Site News that parroted Iranian propaganda that suggested the United States was actively attempting to kill the downed airman rather than rescue him.
<blockquote>Iranian state-linked Tasnim News, citing a military source, claims U.S. forces are bombing areas in southwest Iran where a missing pilot may be located, alleging Washington has “lost hope” of recovery and is attempting to kill him.</blockquote>
Tapper <a href="https://x.com/jaketapper/status/2041125801051967769">pushed back</a> early on Monday, one day after an elaborate rescue mission had succeeded in safely extracting the weapon systems specialist, saying, &#8220;Former National Counterterrorism Center director Joe Kent sharing Iranian state-linked outlet nonsense claiming, falsely, that the U.S. was trying to kill the then-lost U.S. pilot. Aged rather poorly, I think it&#8217;s fair to say.&#8221;
Kent responded by claiming that Tapper was promoting the war and that Iranian media was &#8220;independent,&#8221; and said that anyone &#8220;cheering on wars&#8221; should be questioned.
&#8220;Tapper’s purpose, like the entire corporate media, is to promote this foolish war &amp; attack anyone who points out how this war isn’t in our nation’s interest. Read independent media, Iranian media &amp; US media &#8211; always question those cheering on wars &amp; always pray for our troops,&#8221; he <a href="https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/2041140400304337063">posted</a>.
The CNN anchor disputed Kent&#8217;s characterization, saying that neither he nor CNN were in the business of promoting any war. &#8220;We cover it, critically.&#8221;
&#8220;Moreover, I wasn’t attacking Mr. Kent. I pointed out that he had promoted false information suggesting the U.S. was seeking to *kill* the missing U.S. pilot. Wild stuff,&#8221; Tapper concluded.
Kent had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joe-kent-bomb-bomb-bomb-bomb-bomb-iran">previously</a> called for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joe-kent-circa-2020-i-personally-think-trump-should-have-crushed-their-ballistic-nuke-capes">far more aggressive treatment</a> of Iran, but pivoted and quickly announced his departure from the Trump administration after the president took action.

GettyImages-2251397231-2

Even The Left Calls Out Joe Kent After He Pushes Iranian Narrative

Global Politics

Jake Tapper

Joe Kent

Military

Propaganda

World

CNN&#8217;s chief data analyst Harry Enten threw cold water on the Democratic Party as the 2026 midterm elections approach, saying that at least in terms of popularity, they were well behind where they had been in previous years.
Enten joined anchor John Berman on Monday morning to discuss the elections — less than eight months away — and said that Democrats were nowhere near where they had been in previous midterm elections when the president was a Republican.
WATCH:
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NEW: Republicans lead in net favorability ahead of the 2026 midterms
&#8220;Democrats are, just simply put, running behind their previous benchmark&#8230;&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/VeE4MdDqsx">pic.twitter.com/VeE4MdDqsx</a>
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/2041156139274948973?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Just take a look at this, net favorability, party ahead at this point, midterm years with a GOP president. In 2018, Dems were up by 12,&#8221; Enten said. &#8220;In 2006, on net favorability, which party do you like more, Dems are ahead by 18. Republicans are actually ahead on net favorability at this [point] by five points. So Democrats are just, simply put, running behind their previous benchmarks and they need to be running well ahead of them if they want to take back the United States Senate, given that math.&#8221;
Just a few minutes earlier, Enten laid out the <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/cnn-data-guru-reveals-gop-may-keep-the-senate-thanks-to-dems-historically-low-midterm-lead/">reasons</a> he believed that Democrats had a relatively decent shot at taking control of the U.S. House in the midterms, but would have a much harder time gaining a majority in the Senate.
Citing a small lead for Democrats on generic ballots, Enten said that spread might just be enough to overcome the slim Republican margin in the House of Representatives.
&#8220;I would say this, Mr. Berman, and that is that this lead is historically low for Democrats at this point with a Republican president,&#8221; Enten explained. &#8220;Because, take a look here, and I’m taking a look at the average of all the polls, Dem generic congressional ballot lead at this point in the cycle with a Republican president. On average, their lead’s actually slightly less, it’s five points. That’s less than it was back in 2018 when it was eight points, and way less than it was during the 2006 cycle when it was 11 points.&#8221;
&#8220;So, yeah, Democrats are ahead, but they’re only ahead by five with a president whose net approval rating is bordering on -20 to -30, depending on what polls you look at. You’d make the argument Democrats should be way ahead. And they’re just only sort of, slightly ahead,&#8221; he added.
That math, according to Enten, would not help Democrats in the Senate because of the map in play in 2026.
&#8220;I think five points is enough to take back the House, but in the Senate, five points is almost certainly not enough if you apply it to the Senate map,&#8221; Enten argued. &#8220;Why do I say that? Because let’s just take a look, GOP would win the Senate with this map. Let’s say Republicans only hold onto the states that Trump won by greater than 10 points. That would, in fact, give them the Senate 51 to 49.&#8221;
Given the current Senate makeup — 53 Republicans, 47 Democrats, and two independents who caucus with Democrats — Democrats would have to flip at least four seats in November in order to take the majority. On a map that Enten identified as far more friendly to the GOP, <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/U.S._Senate_battlegrounds,_2026">Ballotpedia</a> has identified ten seats in total — eight of them currently held by Republicans — as potential &#8220;battlegrounds&#8221;: Alaska (R), Montana (R), Texas (R), Nebraska (R), Wisconsin (D), Ohio (R), Florida (R), North Carolina (R), New Hampshire (D), and Maine (R).

Chuck Schumer & Hakeem Jeffries

The Midterm Warning Signs Are Flashing For Democrats, And Even CNN Sees It

2026 elections

2026 midterm

Harry Enten

The city of Houston&#8217;s official X account deleted a post referring to Good Friday as a “spring holiday” after backlash from government officials and others on the platform.
“Due to the Spring holiday weekend, City of Houston offices will be closed on Friday, April 3,” the now-deleted post said.
“Today is Good Friday. Sunday is Easter. It isn’t a ‘Spring holiday weekend,’” Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) wrote in response. “It’s a time when Christians across the nation reflect on the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The City of Houston should be ashamed.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today is Good Friday. Sunday is Easter.
It isn’t a “Spring holiday weekend.”
It’s a time when Christians across the nation reflect on the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The City of Houston should be ashamed. <a href="https://t.co/Q6fUVtMQwu">pic.twitter.com/Q6fUVtMQwu</a>
— Congressman Troy E. Nehls (@RepTroyNehls) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepTroyNehls/status/2040089269457367289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“It’s okay to acknowledge Christian holidays,” Libby Emmons, editor in chief of The Post Millennial, <a href="https://x.com/libbyemmons/status/2040053457181196669">wrote</a>.
Newsmax host Todd Starnes posted a side-by-side comparison of the city’s Good Friday post and Mayor John Whitmire’s post celebrating the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr — and noted the clear difference in tone.
“Notice the difference in how Houston City Hall celebrates a Christian holiday compared to a Muslim holiday,” Starnes wrote on X.
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Notice the difference in how Houston City Hall celebrates a Christian holiday compared to a Muslim holiday. <a href="https://t.co/CHKbrOf2TK">pic.twitter.com/CHKbrOf2TK</a>
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) <a href="https://twitter.com/toddstarnes/status/2039853132713214062?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
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“Wishing those who celebrate, a joyful and blessed Eid al-Fitr,” the Houston Mayor’s Office account posted in acknowledgment of the Muslim holiday. “May this occasion bring peace, prosperity, and renewed gratitude.”
At the time of publication, the city had not yet posted anything recognizing Easter other than a <a href="https://x.com/HoustonHealth/status/2040125982430880089">repost</a> from the city&#8217;s health department warning about the risks of contracting bird flu while handling eggs. The account has recognized Easter in previous years. The city has also posted about the Muslim holiday Ramadan.
Republican state Rep. Tom Oliverson called the difference in the city’s posts “embarrassing.”
“Be better,” Oliverson <a href="https://x.com/TomOliverson/status/2040067814342406459">wrote</a> on X. “Today is Good Friday, not Spring Holiday.”
The city&#8217;s post is still up on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DWocJjeid5G/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D">Instagram</a>, with the vast majority of comments on that platform also criticizing the city’s wording.
“Spring Holiday” is listed as an official city holiday on Houston’s <a href="https://www.houstontx.gov/events/cityholidays.html">calendar</a> that falls on Good Friday. In 2027, “Spring Holiday” — and Good Friday — will fall on March 26.

hc032626LoversLanePresser

Texas City Deletes Post Calling Good Friday A ‘Spring Holiday’ After Backlash

Easter

Texas

Daily Wire host Isabel Brown escalated her ongoing feud with The View this week, issuing a direct challenge to co-host Sara Haines after the ABC personality took fresh shots at her on the show’s podcast, Behind the Table.
The dispute traces back to Brown’s remarks at CPAC, where she encouraged young women to prioritize marriage and motherhood if they feel called to it, comments that quickly drew backlash from The View panel. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A few of you have sent me this &amp; asked me to weigh in… it seems <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahainesr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sarahainesr</a> of <a href="https://twitter.com/TheView?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheView</a> has decided to strike again, calling my response to their unprovoked attack on me and my family “willful” and “ignorant.”
I genuinely harbor no ill will toward any of these women &#8211; I’ve… <a href="https://t.co/A7TyAquh6G">pic.twitter.com/A7TyAquh6G</a>
— Isabel Brown (@theisabelb) <a href="https://twitter.com/theisabelb/status/2040166689808294327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Speaking on Behind the Table, The View’s podcast, Haines continued speaking against Brown, saying,  “I love babies, I love being married,” before adding that “there’s so much pressure in this world on women to define themselves by if they’re married and … if they have babies.” She pointed to friends who struggled to find partners or faced fertility challenges — listing gay couples in that category — arguing that those women “matter” just as much and should not feel diminished.
Haines also dismissed the reaction to the original segment from the show, saying she “refuse[d] to read it,” and suggesting Brown had “misconstrued” her comments. The co-host emphasized that modern feminism is about choice, whether that means marriage and children or not, and warned against what she sees as a cultural push back toward defining women primarily through family roles.
Brown, however, sharply rejected that framing, accusing Haines of distorting her views from the outset. “I never said that your entire worth is wrapped up in your ovaries,” she said, pushing back on claims that she reduces women to motherhood.
Instead, Brown argued that the cultural message coming from outlets like The View has had real consequences. “It is precisely because of the cultural programming that you guys are now peddling … by telling women not to prioritize getting married and having children,” Brown contends, that a generation of women is now “realizing … this might not get to be a part of my life anymore.”
She went further, directly challenging Haines’ argument about overpopulation. “We’re not facing an overpopulation crisis,” Brown said. “We are actually facing a dramatic underpopulation crisis across two thirds of the world’s population.”
Brown also drew a stark generational contrast, noting that Haines is “20 years older” and pointing to women later in life who regret not prioritizing family earlier. “You’re listening to all of these other women … and they’re thinking they missed the boat,” she said, arguing that biology ultimately sets limits many women are not being warned about.
But Brown’s response did not stop at policy or culture, it took on a more spiritual dimension, particularly as the exchange unfolded during Holy Week.
“Yes, I do believe that it is not coincidental whatsoever that the most blatantly disgusting attack on the family we’ve seen in the mainstream media happened during Holy Week,” Brown said, framing the backlash as part of a broader moral struggle. “There are forces at play all around us … weighing in on matters of good and evil.”
That theme echoes Brown’s earlier response to The View, where she accused the hosts of “shrieking like demons” at the idea of encouraging young women to have children and argued that the family remains the “strongest threat to evil” in the world. 
At the same time, Brown positioned herself as advocating not for restriction, but prioritization, particularly for younger women. “There’s nothing anti-woman … about telling young women you should make it a priority … so that you don’t miss the window,” she said.
That framing carried into a separate post accompanying her video response, where Brown struck a more measured tone. “I genuinely harbor no ill will toward any of these women — I’ve never even met any of them!! — but do remain utterly stumped at their lack of social awareness,” she wrote, arguing that the reaction to The View’s segment reflected broader public discomfort with attacks on family and motherhood.
She also called out the show’s refusal to host a direct exchange, “The View is refusing to host an honest conversation between us,” Brown wrote, adding that it was “disappointing, really, for a show that’s supposed to be about multiple ‘View’points.” Noting that The View had <a href="https://ew.com/isabel-brown-alleges-the-view-declined-request-defend-herself-on-air-11940327">declined to host her</a>, she issued a fresh, direct invitation. “I am extending a genuine, honest invite to you to come on my show,” Brown said, offering to fly Haines to Nashville for a “real conversation” about women, family, and the future. “The show The View is supposed to be about different points of view,” she added. “Obviously, that’s not happening.”
She closed her post on a note reflecting the season in which the debate is unfolding: “God bless you, and happy Easter.”
The increasing back-and-forth underscores a deeper cultural divide, one that extends beyond television segments and into questions of faith, family, and the direction of modern feminism. As the debate intensifies, Brown is making clear she wants that conversation face-to-face.

Isabel-4439

Isabel Brown Challenges ‘The View’

Isabel Brown

Sarah Haines

The View

The New York Times got hit with a wave of backlash — and ultimately was forced to issue a correction — after Friday&#8217;s print edition included a headline replacing the word &#8220;Atlantic&#8221; in North Atlantic Treaty Organization with &#8220;American.&#8221;
POLITICO editor Sasha Issenburg drew attention to the flub, sharing a photo of the newspaper showing both the date and the erroneous headline, which read, &#8220;A North American Treaty Organization Without America?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Does the <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nytimes</a> know what NATO stands for? <a href="https://t.co/wvD1WxPOnN">pic.twitter.com/wvD1WxPOnN</a>
— Sasha Issenberg (@sissenberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/sissenberg/status/2040078016576204989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer weighed in on the paper&#8217;s mistake, noting that every headline published by The New York Times had to make it past multiple editors before going to print.
&#8220;The NYT should release the names of every editor who read this and did not correct it. They have multiple layers of editors, especially for the print publication. That’s what the NYT would demand when the government makes a bad mistake. They should live up to the same standard,&#8221; he said.
Former Trump administration official Richard Grenell pointed out that the piece&#8217;s author, Steven Erlanger, as the paper&#8217;s Chief Diplomatic Correspondent for Europe: &#8220;Yikes.&#8221;
President Trump even commented on the flub on Saturday morning, saying in a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116346654846871260">Truth Social post</a>, &#8220;The Failing New York Times, whose lack of credibility, and their constant Fake News attacks on your favorite President, ME, has caused its circulation to absolutely PLUMMET, referred to our severely weakened and extremely unreliable “partner,”NATO, as the North American Treaty Organization. The correct name is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization &#8211; A very interesting mistake! The hiring and educational standards have gone way down at the NYT. Bring back, “ALL THE NEWS THAT’S FIT TO PRINT” and, Make America Great Again!&#8221;
The article itself referenced President Donald Trump&#8217;s repeated threats to leave the organization over other nations — primarily in Europe — not providing monetary or military support when the United States is the one asking. Those threats have only accelerated as European allies have failed to answer calls for assistance with Operation Epic Fury in Iran.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/rubio-says-us-need-reexamine-nato-membership-allies-blocked-basing-airspace-help">equally critical</a> of NATO, saying in recent remarks that if the United States could not rely on NATO allies when help was needed.
&#8220;If now we have reached a point where the NATO alliance means that we can&#8217;t use those bases, that, in fact, that we can no longer use those bases to defend America&#8217;s interests, then NATO is a one-way street. Then NATO is simply about us having troops in Europe to defend Europe,&#8221; Rubio told Fox News host Sean Hannity, adding that it did not make strategic sense for the United States to remain in the organization if it was going to be so one-sided.
By Friday afternoon, the outlet <a href="https://x.com/NYTimesPR/status/2040142477215056082">issued a statement</a> promising a correction in Saturday&#8217;s print edition: &#8220;A correction will appear in tomorrow&#8217;s print edition: &#8216;A headline with an article on Friday about President Trump’s threats to leave NATO misstated the full name of the body. It is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, not the North American Treaty Organization.'&#8221;

New York Times Forced To Issue Correction After Wild Whiff On NATO

Marco Rubio

NATO

The New York Times

Former Chicago Democratic Mayor Rahm Emanuel turned the spotlight back on his own party, saying that a number of recent policy positions had put Democrats at odds with a majority of Americans and proved that they had &#8220;lost the plot.&#8221;
Emanuel joined the &#8220;Fifth Column&#8221; podcast, hosted by Kmele Foster, Michael Moynihan, and Matt Welch, and said that, especially on several key cultural issues, Democrats had gone all in on positions that ultimately alienated some of their own voters.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rahm Emanuel — Obama’s Chief of Staff, Clinton’s political director — just said it.
“We lost the plot.”
Emanuel: 50% of American kids aren’t reading at grade level. Reading and math scores at a 30-year low. The Democratic Party’s response was bathroom access and trans athletes… <a href="https://t.co/VjvaZO08pc">pic.twitter.com/VjvaZO08pc</a>
— Jake (@JakeCan72) <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeCan72/status/2039654591080595527?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We lost the plot,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We as Democrats nationally, from ‘Latinx,’ to defunding the police, to ‘police organizations are all racist,’ to bringing a set of cultural wars to our schools. We are on the losing side of those cultural wars. Full stop.&#8221;
&#8220;You are worried about bathroom access and locker room access. Why don&#8217;t you focus on classroom excellence?&#8221; Rahm asked, adding, &#8220;You have 50% of our kids not reading at grade level.&#8221;
One of the podcast hosts pushed back, saying that all Democrats had to do was address both topics at once: keep fighting the culture war while also addressing everyday issues like education, the economy, and health care.
&#8220;You&#8217;ve proven you can&#8217;t, because you&#8217;ve permitted a 30-year low in reading and math scores, and nobody seems to be calling the whistle on this,&#8221; Emanuel argued.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve lost the plot,&#8221; Emanuel said again, claiming that had happened &#8220;because the party got unanchored.&#8221;
Emanuel, who also previously served as White House Chief of Staff to former President Barack Obama, said that successful Democrats in the past had always been &#8220;anchored&#8221; to values or specific issues that resonated with everyday Americans. Instead, Emanuel argued, the party had in recent years embraced issues that undermined some of the core values it had held for decades.
&#8220;And I&#8217;ll just take one on that I shouldn&#8217;t,&#8221; Emanuel said. &#8220;So, here goes: I remember fighting for Title IX. The reason we are champions in women&#8217;s sports in the Olympics in soccer, hockey, is Title IX. Why would you undercut the premise of Title IX with the ability of trans [identifying] men playing in women&#8217;s sports?&#8221;
&#8220;To me, it&#8217;s insane! You&#8217;re undermining one of the great accomplishments we as a country, but also spearheaded by the Democratic Party, Title IX! And we&#8217;re undercutting it!&#8221; he exclaimed.

Key Speakers During The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit

Obama’s Former Chief Of Staff Says Democrats Have ‘Lost The Plot’ With Everyday Americans

Barack Obama

Defund The Police

Democrats

Rahm Emanuel

With all of the seriousness that envelopes most of the day-to-day operations within the government, sometimes it&#8217;s good to let down the hair, loosen the neckties, and think up a good prank for the social media team to run with for April Fools&#8217; Day.
The Department of Health and Human Services led the charge with a post showing HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — notorious for his strict diet and opposition to fake dyes and additives in food — at a grocery store buying items that would definitely be considered contraband.
&#8220;BREAKING NEWS: SECRETARY KENNEDY CAUGHT PURCHASING ARTIFICIALLY-DYED CANDIES IN BULK,&#8221; the headline read.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/oOBv1uuT0g">pic.twitter.com/oOBv1uuT0g</a>
— HHS Rapid Response (@HHSResponse) <a href="https://twitter.com/HHSResponse/status/2039330926191165716?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Kennedy followed with a post of his own admitting that it was a joke.
The Department of Homeland Security shared a poster advertising free flights to the moon for illegal aliens. &#8220;FLY TO THE MOON FOR FREE!&#8221; the poster read, along with a caption that said, &#8220;This April 1st, we kindly ask all aliens to GO HOME.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This April 1st, we kindly ask all aliens to GO HOME. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ArtemisII?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ArtemisII</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheyAreGoingBack?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheyAreGoingBack</a> <a href="https://t.co/RJ2Z5yH33E">pic.twitter.com/RJ2Z5yH33E</a>
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/2039409788908371996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The National Archives got in on the joke with screenshots of a &#8220;group chat&#8221; between the Founding Fathers as they prepared to sign the Declaration of Independence.
Thomas Jefferson kicked off the conversation: &#8220;Ok, patriots, the final draft is ready.&#8221;
&#8220;Wait, do I sign with my real signature or my cool one?&#8221; John Hancock wanted to know.
&#8220;Make it BIG, John,&#8221; Benjamin Franklin advised. &#8220;Go viral or go home.&#8221;
Another frame showed the men arguing about how long the process was taking and who had brought the snacks.
&#8220;Can someone please proofread before I sign?&#8221; George Washington asked — and Jefferson replied, &#8220;Too late. I already tweeted it.&#8221;
The last line showed King George III of England being added to the chat, and he responded with just an emoji: wide eyes.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Breaking news: The National Archives has released the Founding Fathers group chat for the signing of the Declaration of Independence.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AprilFoolsDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AprilFoolsDay</a> <a href="https://t.co/2YHku5K4VI">pic.twitter.com/2YHku5K4VI</a>
— U.S. National Archives (@USNatArchives) <a href="https://twitter.com/USNatArchives/status/2039352671392485401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The U.S. Department of the Interior went for the two-fer in a post outlining proposed changes to the national animal ahead of the United States celebrating its 250th birthday in 2026.
&#8220;As part of preparations for America’s 250th anniversary, Interior is reviewing wildlife nomenclature to better reflect the nation’s history and character. Following this review, the raccoon (Procyon lotor) will be renamed the Liberty Bandit, effective April 1, 2026,&#8221; the first post read.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Known for its resourcefulness and ability to operate under cover of night, the Liberty Bandit reflects a distinctly American spirit of independence.
Additional updates will be announced in phases, including renaming the skunk (Mephitis mephitis) the Freedom Fogger. 😉 <a href="https://t.co/TzKJIAQ5Dj">pic.twitter.com/TzKJIAQ5Dj</a>
— US Department of the Interior (@Interior) <a href="https://twitter.com/Interior/status/2039334053334200641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
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An immediate follow up added that in addition to giving the raccoon a place of prominence as the &#8220;Liberty Bandit,&#8221; they also planned to rename the skunk the &#8220;Freedom Fogger.&#8221;
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service promised immediate compliance with the new nomenclature, saying, &#8220;We&#8217;ll get this updated on our website ASAP.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We&#8217;ll get this updated on our website ASAP. <a href="https://t.co/FoHyeLuS3n">https://t.co/FoHyeLuS3n</a>
— U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (@USFWS) <a href="https://twitter.com/USFWS/status/2039391809579692339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command (ACIC) stole the show with new guidance detailing the proper headgear for soldiers with Top Secret security clearances.
&#8220;The new Frequency Obstructing Interception Layer (FOIL) covers are designed to mitigate unauthorized SIGINT collection and ensure your thoughts remain on a &#8216;need to know&#8217; basis,&#8221; the description read — and the accompanying illustration showed eight different types of military headgear redone as tinfoil hats.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ACIC releases headwear guidance for Soldiers with Top Secret clearances.
The new Frequency Obstructing Interception Layer (FOIL) covers are designed to mitigate unauthorized SIGINT collection and ensure your thoughts remain on a &#8220;need to know&#8221; basis.
(Graphic made with AI) <a href="https://t.co/KJFdVLIlu1">pic.twitter.com/KJFdVLIlu1</a>
— Army Counterintelligence Command (ACIC) (@Real_ArmyCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/Real_ArmyCI/status/2039315175677849932?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Screenshot/HHS

Even The Government Is Getting In On The Joke Today

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Social Media

A federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump’s effort to strip federal funding from National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service, handing a legal victory to the embattled public media outlets, even as their long-term funding outlook remains uncertain.
In a ruling Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss permanently blocked the administration from enforcing a presidential directive that would have cut off federal support to NPR and PBS. Moss is a judge on the District Court of the District of Columbia and was appointed by former President Barack Obama. Moss cited the First Amendment, writing that it “does not tolerate viewpoint discrimination and retaliation of this type.”
“It is difficult to conceive of clearer evidence that a government action is targeted at viewpoints that the President does not like and seeks to squelch,” Moss wrote, concluding the executive order was unlawful and unenforceable.
The decision marks a significant rebuke of the administration’s argument that the outlets’ coverage ran counter to American interests. Trump had previously said he would “love to” defund NPR and PBS, accusing them of left-leaning bias. Moss rejected that rationale outright, emphasizing that the government cannot deny funding based on disapproval of speech or editorial perspective.
Leaders at both organizations quickly <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/judge-blocks-trumps-executive-order-to-end-federal-funding-for-pbs-and-npr">celebrated the ruling.</a> NPR CEO Katherine Maher called it “a decisive affirmation of the rights of a free and independent press,” while PBS CEO Paula Kerger described the executive order as “textbook&#8221; unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.
Still, the ruling may ultimately have limited practical impact. 
While Moss blocked the executive branch from unilaterally cutting funding, Congress has already taken steps that could prove far more consequential. Lawmakers previously rescinded federal appropriations for public broadcasting for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, a move that led to the shutdown of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the key entity responsible for distributing federal funds to NPR and PBS.
Following House passage of the Rescissions Act, Kate Riley, CEO of <a href="https://apts.org/news/press-releases/local-public-television-stations-will-close-after-us-congress-votes-rescind-essential-funding">America’s Public Television Stations</a>, said at the time the move would “decimate public media” by eliminating the bulk of federal funding that flows to local stations. More than 70 percent of appropriated funds, she noted, go directly to local broadcasters rather than national networks.
Riley argued lawmakers targeting National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service risk collateral damage to smaller, independent stations, some of which do not even carry NPR or PBS programming. Many of those outlets, particularly in rural areas, rely on federal support to remain operational.
The funding itself is modest, about $1.60 per person annually, but, according to Riley, functionally irreplaceable within the current system. The rescission ended funding beginning October 1, 2025, and ultimately shuttered the CPB altogether, a prediction that came to pass in January of 2026.
That reality underscores the limits of the recent court ruling. While the judiciary has drawn a constitutional boundary around executive action, the more decisive battle over public media’s future is now unfolding in Congress, where the outcome may prove far more consequential than any single legal decision.
The judge acknowledged as much, noting that while some claims related to the now-defunct CPB were moot, the executive order still extended beyond it by directing all federal agencies to cease funding the outlets entirely. That sweeping directive, Moss found, crossed a constitutional line.
The case now sets up a likely appeal, with broader implications for the limits of executive power over federally funded institutions and the extent to which government officials can factor editorial viewpoints into funding decisions.

US-BUSINESS-NPR

Obama-Appointed Judge Throws Wrench In Trump’s Plan To Defund NPR, PBS

Courts

Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

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