God Rejects Prayers of Bloody Men!
Reuters and the Algemeiner wrote on March 29:
“Pope Leo said on Sunday that God rejects the prayers of leaders who start wars and have ‘hands full of blood,’ in unusually forceful remarks…the pontiff… said Jesus cannot be used to justify any wars… ‘(Jesus) does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: “Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood”’…
“Some US officials have invoked Christian language to justify the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 that initiated the expanding war. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has started leading Christian prayer services at the Pentagon, prayed at a service on Wednesday for ‘overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.’
“Leo referenced a Bible passage in which Jesus, about to be arrested ahead of his crucifixion, rebuked one of his followers for striking the person arresting him with a sword. ‘(Jesus) did not arm himself, or defend himself, or fight any war,’ Leo said…”
Hegseth—the “Christian” Crusader?
The Hill wrote on March 29:
“During his briefing on the Iran war last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested that Americans take a knee and pray to Jesus for the success of U.S. forces in the Middle East. A few days later, he read out a sermon praying that ‘wicked souls’ be ‘delivered to the eternal damnation’ in the fight against Iran. The Defense secretary has increasingly used his bully pulpit to promote his combative, controversial brand of Christianity….
“Hegseth quite literally wears his Christian faith on his sleeve, with a tattoo on his arm of the words ‘Deus Vult,’ or ‘God wills it’ — a motto from the Crusades — as well as a tattoo on his chest depicting a Jerusalem cross. Both are associated with extremists and the Christian right.”
Nothing Wrong With Praying for Those Who Fight in War?
Barrons wrote on March 30:
“The White House on Monday defended praying for US troops engaged in the Iran war after Pope Leo XIV warned that God rejects the prayers ‘of those who wage war.’ ‘I don’t think there is anything wrong with our military leaders or with the president calling on the American people to pray for our servicemembers and those who are serving our country overseas,’ Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters in response to a question about the pontiff’s comments…
“In response to the pope’s comments, Leavitt — who is Catholic, along with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — said the United States was founded on Judeo-Christian values. Leaders and troops have prayed ‘during the most turbulent times in our nation’s history, and if you talk to many servicemembers they will tell you they appreciate the prayers,’ she added. ‘In fact, I think it’s a very noble thing to do.’”
Read our free booklet, “Should YOU Fight in War?”
Trump Bound For Heaven?
Newsmax wrote on March 29:
“President Donald Trump shared a private letter on Truth Social on Palm Sunday in which evangelist Franklin Graham assured him about the fate of his soul, writing that it is ‘secure’ and that he is ‘bound for heaven’ if he accepts Jesus Christ. Graham, the son of the late Billy Graham and a longtime evangelical ally of Trump, sent the letter on Oct. 15 after the president jokingly questioned whether he would make it to heaven… ‘The only way to Heaven is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus came to earth, died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and God raised Him to life on the third day. If you accept that by faith and invite Him to come into your heart, you ARE heaven bound, I promise you.’
“In the letter, Graham also cited Romans 10:9: ‘If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.’… Graham has been a consistent supporter of Trump for years, signaling as early as 2011…”
Nothing could be further from the Truth.
Trump’s “Holy” War
The Rutherford Institute wrote on March 31:
“War has been dressed up in patriotism. Wrapped in Scripture. Called ‘righteous.’ Marketed as ‘peace through strength.’ But this is not a holy war. It is a political war dressed up as holy… the values animating America’s wars and power plays bear no resemblance to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
“Jesus said: Love your enemies. The government says: destroy them. Jesus said: Blessed are the peacemakers. The government says: blessed are the war-makers. Jesus said: Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me. The government cages the poor, criminalizes the homeless, bombs the foreigner, and calls it security.
“This is not a misunderstanding of Christianity. It is a deliberate rewriting of it. Consider the prayer offered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a Pentagon worship service: ‘…Give … overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy. We ask these things with bold confidence in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus Christ.’ No mercy. Spoken in the name of the Prince of Peace.
“This is not faith. This is blasphemy baptized in nationalism. It is the hijacking of religion to sanctify violence—the turning of the Sermon on the Mount into a war manual. It is also an attempt to recast modern warfare as a holy war—sanctioned by God, justified by faith, and beyond moral reproach. That idea is… un-Christian…
“When government officials invoke God to justify violence, when military power is cloaked in religious language, when prayer becomes a tool of state policy—we are no longer dealing with freedom of religion…
“What we are witnessing is not Christianity. It is Christian nationalism—a counterfeit religion that wraps political power in religious language and calls it holy. It is idolatry of the nation masquerading as devotion to God… Yet today, far too many churches have traded prophecy for proximity to power. They have exchanged the cross for the flag…
“If Jesus walked into today’s halls of power—into the Pentagon, the White House, the halls of Congress—would He be welcomed? Or would He be surveilled, silenced, labeled a threat? Would He bless drone strikes and military parades?… This is the great moral crisis of our time. Not just that the government wages endless war, but that it dares to do so in the name of God—and too many cheer it on.
“The early Christians understood something we have forgotten. Their allegiance was not to Rome. It was not to Caesar. It was not to the machinery of empire. Their allegiance was to a higher law. And for that, they were persecuted, imprisoned, executed. They did not seek to control the empire.
“They refused to conform to it. Today, by contrast, much of the modern church has become indistinguishable from the power it once challenged. But the teachings of Jesus have not changed.”
Sadly, all of this is so true.
Shameless Blasphemy
Die Welt wrote on April 4:
“Munich Cardinal Reinhard Marx has sharply criticized the misuse of religion to justify violence and war. It is a ‘shameless blasphemy’ when US Defense Secretary Pete Hegzeth prays that every bullet in the Iran war hits its mark, the archbishop said in his Easter Sunday sermon.
“The same applies to the statement by Kirill I, the Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow, who described the war of aggression launched by Russia against Ukraine as a ‘holy war.’”
Shameless blasphemy indeed!
Pentagon Threatens Vatican
Focus wrote on April 8:
“A few days after the Pope’s State of the World Address in early January, the Pentagon summoned a Vatican representative. US officials gave him a ‘bitter dressing-down,’ according to several US media outlets. Elbridge Colby, Under Secretary of Defense, reportedly told Cardinal Christophe Pierre: ‘The United States has the military power to do whatever it wants worldwide. The Catholic Church would be wise to side with them.’
“Another US official then reportedly brought up the ‘Avignon Papacy.’ This refers to a period in the 14th century when the French monarchy brought the Catholic Church under its control and later ordered an attack on Pope Boniface VIII, which led to his overthrow and subsequent death.
“The reason for the harsh action by US officials? They were dissatisfied with certain parts of Pope Leo’s speech… The Trump administration interpreted Leo’s statements as a hostile message toward the US… The Vatican was apparently so alarmed after the Pentagon meeting, which included a threat, that Pope Leo canceled a planned visit to the US. Several Vatican officials perceived the Pentagon’s reference to ‘the Avignon Papacy’ as a threat to ‘use military force against the Holy See’…
“But Pope Leo XIV doesn’t seem intimidated. He continues to comment on the global political situation and also on actions connected with the Trump administration… ‘As we all know, there was also this threat today [by Trump] against the entire people of Iran [to annihilate them with nuclear weapons], and that is truly unacceptable,’ said the head of approximately 1.4 billion Catholics…”
Franklin Graham’s Wrong Christianity
Christian Post wrote on April 3:
“Franklin Graham cited the Old Testament example of King David earlier this week to push back against Pope Leo XIV’s claim that God rejects the prayers of those who wage war… ‘King David, he prayed that God would train his hands how to fight his enemies. We know that God does take sides in history, certainly as it relates to biblical history. God gave great favor to David, great wisdom to David, every time he went into battle.’ Graham explained there are just wars, singling out World War II as an example…
“Avraham Burg, a native Israeli who briefly served as interim president of Israel in 2000 in his capacity as speaker of the Knesset… suggested Graham was misapplying the story of King David… ‘King David, yes, was a warrior, but he explicitly, in the Bible, was not granted to build the temple for the good Lord because, as the prophet [Nathan] said, “Your hands are full of blood.'”
Burg is right, while Graham is terribly wrong.
Pope vs. Trump
The Associated Press wrote on April 12:
“President Donald Trump delivered an extraordinary broadside against Pope Leo XIV on Sunday night, saying he didn’t think the U.S.-born global leader of the Catholic Church is ‘doing a very good job’ and that ‘he’s a very liberal person,’ while also suggesting the pontiff should ‘stop catering to the Radical Left.’…
“Trump’s comments came after Leo suggested over the weekend that a ‘delusion of omnipotence’ is fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran…
“Later, Trump posted a picture suggesting he had saint-like powers akin to those of Jesus Christ. Wearing a biblical-style robe, Trump is seen laying hands on a bedridden man as light emanates from his fingers, while a soldier, a nurse, a praying woman and a bearded man in a baseball cap all look on admiringly. The sky above is filled with eagles, an American flag and vaporous images.
“Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a statement saying he was ‘disheartened’ by Trump’s comments.”
Trump’s Blasphemy
The Daily Mail wrote on April 13:
“Conservatives are expressing outrage after Donald Trump posted an image portraying himself as Jesus Christ, forcing fractures among his evangelical base. After rebuking Pope Leo over the weekend following critical remarks that the President should be a ‘peacemaker’ amid the Iran war, Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself as Christ.
“The image shows Trump draped in white with a red shawl, placing his hands, glowing with a divine light, on a sick patient in a hospital bed as a soldier, a nurse and others look on in adoration. Behind him are some US motifs, like the Statue of Liberty and the American flag. Above him are what appear to be angels. One seems to have horns.
“The post has since been deleted from the President’s Truth Social account. Trump later claimed that he believed the AI image depicted him as a doctor, telling reporters: ‘It wasn’t a depiction. I did post it and I thought it was me as a doctor. And had to do with Red Cross as a Red Cross worker, which we support and only the fake news could come up with that one. It’s supposed to be me as a doctor making people better and I do make people better.’…”
Not in a million years could this image be mistaken for Trump being a doctor.
The article continued:
“Trump’s ridicule of the Pope got the attention of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who piled on the controversy. ‘I condemn the insult to Your Excellency on behalf of the great nation of Iran, and declare that the desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood, is not acceptable to any free person. I wish you glory by Allah,’ the Iranian official wrote.
“Ex-Trump ally and Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene went further, saying the post is ‘more than blasphemy’ and that ‘it’s an Antichrist spirit.’ … Trump’s bashing of the Pope and ‘blasphemous’ comparison to Christ come despite his closest advisors’ Catholic and Christian beliefs. ..
“Outkick host Jon Root wrote: ‘This is blasphemous.’ ‘Trump portraying himself as Jesus Christ, descending from the clouds, healing the sick, with people praying to him, is reprehensible. If only there was a qualified leader of the White House Faith Office, and not a heretic, so this wouldn’t happen or at least would be called out,’ he continued.”
Trump Removes His Blasphemous Image
The Guardian wrote on April 13:
“Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself to Truth Social on Sunday depicting him as a Jesus Christ-like figure, with divine light emanating from his hands as he heals a stricken man in a hospital bed with a demon from hell floating in the background. The president has since deleted the post, but not before facing the wrath of some of his most high-profile and loyal Christian supporters, many of whom have stood by the president through multiple other indiscretions and were unable to contain their righteous fury.
“Riley Gaines, Fox News host and conservative commentator, said she ‘cannot understand why he’d post this’. ‘Is he looking for a response? Does he actually think this? Either way, two things are true. 1) a little humility would serve him well 2) God shall not be mocked,’ she wrote on X.
“Megan Basham, a writer at the conservative Daily Wire, called the post ‘OUTRAGEOUS blasphemy.’ ‘I don’t know if the President thought he was being funny or if he is under the influence of some substance [or some other influence] or what possible explanation he could have for this,’ she wrote. She demanded Trump ‘take this down immediately and ask for forgiveness from the American people and then from God’. Isabel Brown, a host on the same outlet, said he image was ‘disgusting and unacceptable… This post is, frankly, disgusting and unacceptable…’
“The AI-generated image Trump shared was not the original. The picture first appeared in early February, posted to X by Nick Adams, a conservative commentator with a history of sharing AI-generated, biblically themed Trump content. In Adams’s version, a silhouette of a US soldier stands in the background. In Trump’s version, that soldier has been photoshopped into a demonic figure with horns looming behind the president as he performs his miracle…
“One user on X… captured the mood: ‘God, we might have made a mistake and accidentally elected the Antichrist. Send help.’”
More Blasphemies
The Independent wrote on April 3:
“Paula White‑Cain, a televangelist who has served as Trump’s spiritual adviser across both his presidencies, used her Wednesday address to draw parallels between the legal battles and assassination attempts he has faced and the trials endured by Christ….
“However, the comparison has been branded ‘insanity’ on social media. Catholic theologian Rich Raho posted on X: ‘Blasphemous. It’s stunning to see a US Bishop standing right there on the stage while Paula White compares Trump to Jesus Christ.’… ‘As a Catholic, I find this woman completely sacrilegious and offensive on every possible level,’ another X user said.”
It appeared at times that Paula White‑Cain could have been under demonic influence.
“Pope Leo Decries World ‘Ravaged By Tyrants’”
The Associated Press wrote on April 16:
“Pope Leo blasted leaders who spend billions on wars and said the world was ‘being ravaged by a handful of tyrants,’ in unusually forceful remarks in Cameroon on Thursday…
“Leo… also decried leaders who used religious language to justify wars and urged a ‘decisive change of course’ in a meeting in the biggest city in Cameroon’s anglophone regions, where a simmering conflict going back nearly a decade has left thousands dead. ‘The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild,’ the pontiff said.”
“A Christian Bishop’s Confession: We Changed God’s Sabbath”
Israel 365 News published the following article by Bishop Jerry L. Bowers:
“In 365 AD, the Council of Laodicea issued an edict that should unsettle every serious Bible reader. Responding to pressure from the Roman Emperor Constantine — who wanted to unify pagan sun-worshipers and Christians under one imperial religion — the Church decreed: ‘Christians must not Judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather honoring the Lord’s Day. But if any shall be found to be Judaizers, let them be anathema from Christ.’
“Any Christian who rested on Saturday — the day God Himself sanctified at creation — was to be cut off from the Church and from Christ. That edict reveals something important: church leaders would never have needed to threaten excommunication over a rest day unless large numbers of Christians were actually keeping it. The decree wasn’t addressed to pagans. It was addressed to Christians who knew the Fourth Commandment and were living by it. What Constantine and the Council of Laodicea did, under the banner of Christianity, was weaponize antisemitism to bury a commandment God called eternal.
“…The Sabbath didn’t begin at Mount Sinai. It began in the Garden of Eden. After six days of creation, we are told: ‘God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it’ (Genesis 2:2-3). That first full day Adam spent on earth was a Sabbath — spent in the presence of his Creator. God was establishing a rhythm for human life: six days of work, one day of sacred rest and renewed relationship… This is why the Fourth Commandment, unlike any of the other nine, opens with a single striking word: ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy’ (Exodus 20:8). Remember — because it already existed.
“God wasn’t introducing something new at Sinai. He was calling His people back to something they had abandoned. Christians have offered several reasons for setting aside the Sabbath. They deserve honest examination — and it’s worth saying upfront that Sunday worship is not the problem. Gathering to honor the risen Christ on Sunday reflects genuine faith and devotion. [The typical WRONG Catholic and Protestant human reasoning.] What the historical record shows is something different: not that Sunday was added, but that Saturday rest was actively forbidden — on pain of excommunication. That’s a different argument entirely…
“The Sabbath predates the Jewish people by thousands of years. It was given to all mankind at creation. The Jewish people deserve enormous credit for preserving and honoring this day across nearly four millennia… but the day itself belongs to the whole human family.
“The letter to the Hebrews addresses it directly: ‘If Joshua had given them rest, then he would not have afterwards spoken of another day. Therefore, there remains a rest for the people of God. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest’ (Hebrews 4:8, 11). The writer is not describing eternal rest in heaven as a substitute for the weekly Sabbath. He is arguing that the Sabbath rest established at creation was never abolished…
“There is only one day Jesus claimed as His own: ‘The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath’ (Matthew 12:8). He didn’t claim Sunday. He claimed the Sabbath. And He warned clearly against using tradition to override God’s commands: ‘You make the word of God of no effect through your tradition’ (Mark 7:13).
“[In] Acts… ‘on the first day of the week’ Paul’s disciples gathered to break bread before his departure (Acts 20:7-8). But in the biblical reckoning of time, a day runs from sunset to sunset — placing this gathering on what we would call Saturday night. Paul was holding a farewell meeting before a journey. He was not inaugurating a new weekly worship practice. Throughout the book of Acts, the apostles consistently gathered with both Jews and Gentiles on the Sabbath (Acts 13:42-44; 18:4). There is no record anywhere of them announcing a change in the day of worship.
“What changed the day was not apostolic authority. It was imperial politics. Constantine’s edict in 321 AD mandated Sunday observance across his empire. The Council of Laodicea, under that pressure, issued the threat of excommunication. The Church had no authority to alter a commandment God placed in stone — and the history shows it knew the edict would be resisted, which is precisely why the threat was necessary…”
His comments are absolutely correct, except for the Sunday resurrection narrative.
Catholic Position on Timing of Resurrection
Newsmax wrote on April 4:
“Pope Leo led the world’s Catholics into Easter at a Saturday night vigil Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica and urged people not to feel numbed by the scope of the conflicts raging across the world but to work for peace… ‘Let us not allow ourselves to be paralyzed!’ the first U.S. pope exhorted in a service for the holiest night in the Catholic calendar, when the Bible says Jesus rose from the dead…
“The pope will conclude his Easter celebrations on Sunday morning with a Mass in St. Peter’s Square…”
Does this mean that the Catholic Church is admitting now that Jesus rose from the dead on Saturday [the “holiest night”], and not on Sunday?
Automatic US Draft Registrations
The Hill wrote on April 8:
“Eligible men will automatically be registered into the military draft pool by December as part of an effort to streamline the previous process of self-registration and save money… Most men between the ages of 18 and 25 are already required to register with the Selective Service, but automatic registration was mandated in December 2025 as part of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act…
“Many have questioned whether a U.S. military draft could take place amid the war in Iran… Trump alone cannot bring back the draft through executive action, as Congress would need to pass legislation to amend the Military Selective Service Act to authorize the president to induct personnel into the military.
“Still, failure to register in the draft is considered a crime and can prevent people from receiving state-funded financial aid and employment in numerous states, cause ineligibility for many federal employment opportunities and job training under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and can carry a fine of up to $250,000 and jail time for up to five years. In addition, immigrants who don’t register may lose their U.S. citizenship.
“Under the new rule, men will be registered automatically within 30 days of their 18th birthdays. Women are still ineligible for the draft…”
Only Four Weeks Left?
The Telegraph wrote on March 26:
“Having gone to war with Iran declaring the ‘strength and might’ of the US military, Donald Trump is now in a race against time to extricate himself. After almost four weeks of war, the US is facing shortages of critical offensive and defensive weapons, inventory analysis shows… the US is, at most, a month away from running out of some of its most critical weapons…
“The US can fight on without those munitions. But it means exposing its military to the Iranian and drone attacks that will find their way through the cracks in its protective shield… Last week, Armin Papperger, the head of German defence manufacturer Rheinmetall, warned air defences across the US, Middle East and Europe were ‘almost empty’ as a result of the war. If the conflict lasts another month, there will be ‘nearly no missiles available’, he added…
“What has been fired in a matter of weeks will take years to replenish. Building up the stock of the 535 Tomahawk missiles used will take at least five years… The White House’s desire to wipe out Iran’s missile capabilities are unfulfilled, while the regime still retains the ability to menace American forces and its Gulf neighbours…
“Mr Trump is running out of weapons, interceptors and time. Munitions shortages have hemmed in his escalation options, and there is no obvious path to de-escalation. What started as a stunning demonstration of US military might will probably end in the president cutting his losses.”
Trump’s Contradictions
The Guardian wrote on April 2:
“Donald Trump used a prime-time address to the nation on Wednesday evening to declare the month-long war in Iran a success ‘nearing completion’, despite a spiraling conflict that has caused economic turmoil across the globe, fractured transatlantic alliances and eroded the president’s approval ratings… Oil prices rose and Asian stocks traded lower immediately after Trump’s address, which did little to soothe investor concerns over the closure of the strait of Hormuz…
“Since the start of the war, [Trump] has sent mixed and at times contradictory signals about the US’s objectives…
“…key US objectives remain unclear. Trump has downplayed concerns about Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, dismissing it as too deeply buried underground to matter. He had previously argued that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon was a major justification for the war…”
More of the same baseless war propaganda. But far too many believe this nonsense.
In checking the veracity of Trump’s claims in his speech, Deutsche Welle wrote on April 2:
“Trump’s claim that the United States is completely independent of the Middle East is… false when it comes to crude oil… Trump said the US has received more than $18 trillion in investments since he took office last year… A White House website dedicated to tracking total US and foreign investment lists of a total of $10.5 trillion— far less than what Trump claimed in his address to the nation.”
Coming… Shortages of Jet Fuel
Sky News wrote on April 10:
“Airports are bracing for mass shortages of jet fuel if the Strait of Hormuz does not reopen within the next three weeks, according to a trade body.
“Airports Council International (ACI), which represents more than 600 airports, warned of a ‘systemic’ shortage in a letter to the European commissioners for energy and transport and tourism… Analysts have also warned that soaring jet fuel prices can be quicker to pass through to airfares than road fuel and household energy costs.”
“Europe Has ‘Maybe 6 Weeks Of Jet Fuel Left,’ Energy Agency Head Says”
The Associated Press wrote on April 16:
“Europe has ‘maybe six weeks or so (of) jet fuel left,’ the head of the International Energy Agency said Thursday.. warning of possible flight cancellations ‘soon’ if oil supplies remain blocked by the Iran war. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol painted a sobering picture of the global repercussions of what he called ‘the largest energy crisis we have ever faced,’ stemming from the pinch-off of oil, gas and other vital supplies through the Strait of Hormuz… The impact will be ‘higher petrol (gasoline) prices, higher gas prices, high electricity prices,’ Birol told AP…’
Trump Carries Out Putin’s Dream Plan
“The Polish Prime Minister… said: ‘The threat of NATO’s break-up, easing sanctions on Russia, a massive energy crisis in Europe, halting aid for Ukraine and blocking the loan for Kyiv by Orbán – it all looks like Putin’s dream plan.’…
“With Europe-US relations at an all time low, Putin and his cronies in the Kremlin must be rubbing their hands in glee.”
Like Vietnam
The Mirror wrote on March 28:
“Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has issued a chilling warning over the ‘likelihood of a nuclear conflict’ in the Middle East, claiming Donald Trump has made a ‘gross’ strategic error… He blamed the United States for what he called an ‘unprovoked, extremely dangerous war’, accusing Washington and Israel of behaving like a ‘bull in a china shop’ and pushing the region towards catastrophe… ‘Probably the biggest war in the Middle East could still be ahead,’ he said….
“He warned ‘the consequences will be fatal – for all participants because getting involved in such a ground operation at a great distance from the very same United States of America, threatens with approximately the same consequences as what happened in Vietnam, when Washington got involved in a foreign country, located a thousand miles away, and for 10 years could not find a decent way out of this conflict.’”
A Two-Week Ceasefire and More Uncertainties
Reuters wrote on April 10:
“A fragile two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran showed further strain on Friday… There was no sign Iran was lifting its near-total blockade of the strait, which has caused the worst-ever disruption to global energy supplies.
“U.S. President Donald Trump said in a social media post late Thursday that Iran was doing a ‘very poor job’ of allowing oil to go through the strait. ‘That is not the agreement we have!’
In a separate post, he said oil would start flowing again, without saying what actions the U.S. might take.
“In the first 24 hours of the ceasefire, which Trump announced on Tuesday, just a single oil products tanker and five dry bulk carriers sailed trough the strait which typically carries a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flows and 140 ships a day before the war.”
Trump Always Chickens Out
The Huffington Post wrote on March 31:
“Trump is walking away from any responsibility for the global energy crisis he created when he attacked Iran 32 days ago, particularly Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a full fifth of the world’s oil flows… The suggestion that he is ready to wash his hands of opening the strait to unfettered navigation contradicts what he promised on March 3 — ‘the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible. No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD’ — and again on Monday, when he demanded that Iran open the strait ‘immediately.’
“‘It’s a major geopolitical failure,’ said Robert Kagan, once a senior State Department official in the Reagan administration and now with the Brookings Institution. ‘If Trump TACOs now, the net effect of the war will be to give China unprecedented influence in the Gulf, and therefore over the world economy,’ he added, using the shorthand for ‘Trump Always Chickens Out’ coined by Wall Street traders when he backed down from his massive tariffs a year ago…”
Trump knows he has lost the war. Now he tries to chicken out by lying to the people that he won the war. And far too many simple-minded folks will believe the lie.
Remove Trump From Office
The Mirror wrote on April 7:
“Anthony Scaramucci, who served in Trump’s first administration in 2017, called for the president to be removed from office ‘immediately’ after he threatened to wipe out a ‘whole civilization’ in Iran… ‘Wake up: he is calling for a nuclear strike,’ said Anthony Scaramucci, who served in Trump’s first administration in July 2017. ‘Seek his removal immediately,’ the former communications director added.
“It comes after the president launched another shocking rant on Truth Social… ‘A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,’ he wrote… ‘However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change [what a joke], where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?’”
A Ceasefire Deal? What a Joke!
The Independent wrote on April 8:
“The US and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire hours after President Donald Trump threatened to wipe Iranian civilization off the map. Trump claimed America won a ‘total and complete victory’ after making the agreement…
“Both sides have framed the ceasefire as a win…
“Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid has branded a US-Iran ceasefire the biggest ‘political disaster’ in all of the country’s history… ‘Israel wasn’t even at the table when decisions were made concerning the core of our national security… Netanyahu failed politically, failed strategically, and didn’t meet a single one of the goals that he himself set.’”
Neither did Trump. A total disaster.
Trump vs. CNN
The Independent wrote on April 9:
“CNN Anchor Jake Tapper hit out at President Trump after the commander-in-chief accused the network of reporting a ‘false statement.’ Trump tore into CNN on Tuesday, after anchor Erin Burnett read out a statement from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council… ‘The enemy, in its unfair, unlawful, and criminal war against the Iranian nation, has suffered an undeniable, historic, and crushing defeat,’ the statement… said…
“Trump demanded that the network ‘withdraw this statement with full apologies’ and claimed that an investigation was being launched into whether CNN had committed a crime by publishing the document… Jake Tapper hit back at President Trump… ‘The issue boils down to this,’ Tapper said. ‘The statement from Iran‘s Supreme National Security Council, which claimed victory for Iran, did not fit the messaging that the Trump administration wanted to project. And instead of calling out the Iranian regime for its conflicting statements or explaining how Iran does this all the time, President Trump attacked CNN by falsely claiming we made it up by lying to you,’ he added.
“Highlighting that CNN did not invent the statement nor present Iran’s claims as fact, Tapper said that it was the network’s job to report on the ongoing events in the war. ‘Our job is not to try and please the president or only report the statements he likes… We‘re going to tell you what‘s going on, and we‘re going to keep doing that, no matter how many lies this administration or the Iranians tell.’”
Epic Rage Collapses… Top US General Warns Trump: “We Will Not Win”
Banking News wrote on April 4:
“The American military operation in Iran, ‘Epic Rage’ as it is called, has failed. The Islamic Republic of Iran and its army, regular and the IRGC the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, are continuously launching ‘epic’ attacks, as the Americans would say, on sensitive American areas in the Persian Gulf, and it seems that Iran has no intention of stopping… There was no ‘mass popular uprising’ to overthrow the ‘dark regime of the bloodthirsty Ayatollah.’
“The leadership of the country was not decapitated. The assassinated and dead Iranian politicians became martyrs, despite the fact that they had every opportunity to hide. The vacant positions were immediately filled, which indicates both control at the highest levels of power and the fact that such a scenario, deaths as a result of attacks, was considered..
“But Iran has not only not lost, it has essentially defeated its opponents. The state maintained control of all institutions, as well as exclusive command of the army. The arsenals were not destroyed. Moreover, no one knows the real number of missiles that were stored there.”
Trump’s Foul and Unpresidential Language
The Mirror wrote on April 5:
“The US president ordered Iran to ‘open the f**kin’ Strait [of Hormuz]’ or otherwise face hell… He went on to say ‘Praise be to Allah’ as he warned the attacks on Iranian infrastructure will be like nothing seen before. ‘Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,’ he wrote on Truth Social. ‘There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F**kin’ Strait, you crazy b*stards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP.’”
Such foul and offensive language is highly unworthy of anyone, especially a US President.
Open or Closed?
The Nightly wrote on April 8:
“A ceasefire agreement in the Middle East faces collapse within 24 hours of its announcement after Israel launched strikes across Lebanon…
“There is also a large amount of uncertainty over whether passage through the Strait of Hormuz, when it is open, would come with a hefty price tag. Some sources say the 10 point agreement used to secure the two week ceasefire includes the condition for Iran, and Oman, to be paid for any use. Some say this figure could be between $2 million to $3.5 million a trip, something that the White House says it will not be paying.
“Mr Trump told PBS NewsHour that Lebanon was not included in the deal due to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah… Israel has said the agreement does not extend to its war with Iran-backed Hezbollah, although mediator Pakistan said it does… Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has remained at an effective standstill in the 24 hours since Iran conditionally lifted its blockade on the critical shipping lane… Shipping companies say they have been warned not to cross the Strait without permission or risk having their ships destroyed.”
Trump Threatens Again
Mirror wrote on April 11:
“Donald Trump has threatened to unleash fury on Iran using ‘the best weapons ever made’ if peace talks in Pakistan fail this weekend. ‘We’re loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made,’ the US president said. ‘If we don’t have a deal, we will be using them, and we will be using them very effectively.’”
No Deal!
Focus wrote on April 11:
“Iran currently has no plans for further negotiations… ‘Iran is in no hurry, and as long as the US does not agree to a reasonable agreement, the status of the Strait of Hormuz will remain unchanged’…
“After hours of negotiations, the talks ended on Sunday morning without any tangible result…
“US Vice President JD Vance boarded Air Force Two in Islamabad, Pakistan, following the failed negotiations and is now on his way back to the US. ‘The bad news is that we did not reach an agreement. And I believe that is much worse news for Iran than for the United States of America,’ Vance said upon departure…”
“According to Iranian sources, key issues such as the Strait of Hormuz, the nuclear question, war reparations, the lifting of sanctions, and an end to the war in the region were discussed during negotiations between the US and Iran, mediated by Pakistan… the news agencies Tasnim and Fars spoke of ‘excessive demands’ from the US side. Specifically, the Strait of Hormuz was mentioned as the central point of contention… After hours of negotiations, according to the Vice President, Iran did not commit to refraining from developing a nuclear weapon…”
Trump’s Blockade
Daily Mail wrote on April 12:
“Sir Keir Starmer as refused to join Donald Trump’s naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz… after Iranian peace talks failed. The move signals growing tensions between the UK, other NATO members and the United States, as hostilities in the Middle East look set to continue…
“Trump… wrote on his Truth Social platform that the US military would start ‘blockading any and all ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz’. The President said the US navy would also ‘seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas’.
“He added in a Fox News interview following his announcement: ‘I understand the UK and a couple of other countries are sending minesweepers.’ But Britain will not play a part in the move, the Daily Mail understands.”
Nobody else has said that they would participate in this counter-productive blockade. See the next article.
Is Trump Causing a Worldwide Depression?
On April 13, Ron Paul wrote in the Ron Paul Institute:
“President Trump was presented with a great opportunity on Saturday to take the off-ramp from his war on Iran. After threatening Iran that ‘a whole civilization will die tonight,’ Trump managed to get a two week pause in the war with the intervention of the Pakistani government. A window opened to end this illegal war. Vice President Vance traveled to Pakistan to negotiate with a high-level Iranian delegation…
“Unfortunately, after a month and a half of war, where tens of billions of dollars have been spent, every US base in the region is either damaged or destroyed, and dozens of military aircraft have been lost, President Trump did not take the off-ramp. He hit the accelerator. After 21 hours of negotiations, the talks blew up, reportedly because the US side again insisted that Iran turn over its enriched uranium, destroy its nuclear facilities, and never enrich uranium again…
“So the Pakistan meeting was a waste of time… Immediately after the talks ended in failure, an increasingly volatile Trump increased his threats against Iran. Over the past weeks he has alternated between insisting that the Strait of Hormuz is unimportant to the United States and demanding that the Strait be opened immediately.
“Then yesterday he announced… that the United States military would start blockading Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Any ship departing from an Iranian port would risk being boarded, inspected, and possibly seized. Iran’s restricting traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has sent oil prices soaring, along with the price of fertilizer and other related products. Inflation is increasing in the US. Global markets are reeling. Trump further restricting traffic in and out of the Persian Gulf with his own blockade will only accelerate this process. It is like fighting a fire with gasoline.
“And if the Houthis in Yemen close the Red Sea in response to Trump’s blockade of Iran’s blockade, we could even see a global economic depression.
“There is a feeling that President Trump is flailing around while becoming increasingly volatile. He expected that the Europeans, the Japanese, and the South Koreans would join his efforts to force open the Strait, but instead they decided to make their own deals with Tehran and pay the transit fee. The rest of the world does not want war with Iran. Only the Trump Administration and Netanyahu want the war…
“China has warned the US against interfering in its trade with Iran. A major escalation is brewing and Congress still cannot find its voice.”
The whole world is beginning to HATE Trump… and with him the entire USA.
Iran Denies Passage of American Military Vessels in Strait of Hormuz
Press TV wrote on April 12, 2026:
“The spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters has roundly dismissed the US Central Command (CENTCOM) claims about the passage of American military vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. ‘The permission for the transit of any vessel (in the strategic waterway) is within the authority of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran,’ Lieutenant Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari said in a statement released on Sunday. Separately, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy announced that any attempt by military vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz will face a harsh confrontation.
“The force said in a statement that the IRGC has full authority, intelligently manages the Strait of Hormuz, and only civilian vessels will be permitted to pass under special regulations. The statement further highlighted that any reports regarding the passage of American ships through the Strait are denied, and any attempt by military vessels to pass will be met with complete decisiveness and hard response.
“On Saturday, CENTCOM claimed that two destroyers, the USS Frank E Peterson and USS Michael Murphy, had ‘transited the Strait of Hormuz and operated in the [Persian] Gulf as part of a broader mission to ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines.’”
Strait of Hormuz Open?
The Daily Mail wrote on April 15:
“Donald Trump has declared the Strait of Hormuz ‘permanently open’ after secret talks with Xi Jinping, claiming the Chinese leader had agreed to stop arming Iran…
‘‘China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social. ‘I am doing it for them, also – And the World. This situation will never happen again.’”
If one could only believe this. We will wait and see.
Austria Blocks US Warplanes From Using Its Airspace During Iran War
Metro wrote on April 2:
“American fighter jets will not be allowed to use the Austrian airspace for missions against Iran. The Alpine nation has reportedly blocked the US from using its airspace after an announcement by its Ministry of Defence today. Austria said the US will not have permission for military operations against Iran. This is due to the country’s neutrality law, which bans Austria from joining any military alliances like Nato or allowing foreign military bases on its territory.
“Sven Hergovich, the head of the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), which is part of the coalition, said the defence minister should ‘not approve a single further US military flight to the Gulf.’ He said: ‘Nor should she approve any transport flights or other logistical support. Just as Spain, France, Italy and Switzerland are doing. This war is damaging Austrian economic interests, Europe as a whole, and world peace.’”
Widening Rift Between USA and Spain
The Independent wrote on March 30:
“Spain has closed its airspace to American aircraft involved in military operations against Iran. This move marks a significant escalation beyond Madrid’s’ previous refusal to allow the use of jointly operated military bases… The closure… compels US military planes to reroute around the Nato member state on their way to targets in the Middle East…
“The US relocated 15 aircraft, including refuelling tankers, from the Rota and Moron military bases in southern Spain after the country’s Socialist leadership said it would not allow them to be used to attack Iran….”
Italy Distances Itself From Trump
Politico wrote on April 9:
“Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni distanced herself from U.S. President Donald Trump during a parliamentary address on Thursday, in a bid to save her premiership after a bruising referendum defeat last month… Her allies blame the defeat on rising energy prices caused by the war in Iran and on her friendship with Trump, who is increasingly seen as toxic even on the right…
“The right-wing prime minister used her address to emphasize publicly her disagreements with the American leader for the first time since he was reelected in 2024…[She listed] episodes where she claimed her government stood up to the White House, from tariffs ‘which we have many times defined as a wrong choice,’ to defending ‘the honor of our soldiers in Afghanistan, who had been defined as useless,’ and protecting Greenland’s territorial integrity alongside European allies.
“The Italian leader also described the war in Iran as ‘a military operation that Italy did not agree with and did not participate in … a fact that emerged in all its concreteness with the Sigonella affair,’ she continued. She was referring — for the first time in a public statement — to Italy’s recent decision to refuse permission for a U.S. military aircraft to land at the Sigonella air base in Sicily before flying to the Middle East.
“Thursday’s remarks are a clear rhetorical pivot on her alliance with Trump — who is highly unpopular in Italy…”
… as he is in all of Europe.
Trump vs. Meloni
The Mirror wrote on April 14:
“Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy, described Trump’s tirade against the Pope as ‘unacceptable’. Now [Trump] has said it is ‘she who is unacceptable… because she doesn’t care if Iran has a nuclear weapon and would blow up Italy in two minutes if it had the chance… She is no longer the same person, and Italy will not be the same country.’’
At one time, Trump and Meloni were the strongest allies. But strong alienation between the USA and Italy is prophesied.
AfD Demands US Troops Leave Germany
The Telegraph wrote on March 29:
“The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has called for the withdrawal of all US soldiers from the country. Tino Chrupalla, the far-Right party’s co-leader, told a meeting on Saturday that it was time to remove allied troops and nuclear weapons from Germany in order to pursue an ‘independent’ foreign policy…
“The Telegraph reported on Friday that Donald Trump was considering pulling US troops out of Germany – something he has been thinking about since returning to office last year… Mr Chrupalla’s comments put him at odds with the Trump administration, particularly over whether America should be able to use German bases for its military activities in the future…
“Praising Spain’s decision to block its bases from being used by the US to attack Iran, Mr Chrupalla said: ‘That’s exactly the right thing to do. Spain is not interfering in this war’…
“Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor… accused Mr Trump of carrying out a ‘massive escalation’ in the conflict, rather than attempting to end the fighting. The rhetoric between Washington and Berlin has become increasingly hostile in recent days.
“…the US president’s foreign policy, including his military action against Venezuela and Iran, has increasingly distanced the non-interventionist AfD from Washington.”
Britain and Nato Are Pulling Away From Trump’s America
The Independent wrote on April 10:
“While Trump was pounding Iran with bombs, the UK led a secret operation against Russian spy subs in the Arctic. It is a sign that Starmer is focusing on where the threat to the alliance really lies…
“Just a day after Donald Trump floated the idea of turning the Strait of Hormuz into a ‘joint’ tollbooth to enrich the US and Iran, the British government revealed that a joint operation with Norway had been undertaken to protect Nato’s northern flank.
“The move, combined with a visit this week by Keir Starmer to the Arabian Gulf, is the latest sign that even Europe’s Anglo-Saxons are pulling away from Washington… Healey made it clear that Russia had taken the opportunity, as the focus shifted to the Middle East following Trump and Israel’s illegal attacks on Iran, to continue its ‘hybrid war’ against Nato… Frustrated by the refusal of members of the alliance to take part in the attacks on Iran, and (of many of them) to allow US forces to use bases on their territory to carry out these operations, Trump has repeated his threats to withdraw the US from the organisation altogether…
“America’s Gulf allies have been rattled by Trump’s joint attack with Israel, a country led by a prime minister facing indictment for crimes against humanity. Iran’s response has throttled oil exports and targeted their territory…
“Trump has refused to address Vladimir Putin’s support for Iran at all since launching the conflict in February. But his deputy, JD Vance, has been in Hungary, explicitly violating diplomatic norms by openly backing Viktor Orban’s candidacy in this weekend’s general elections. Vance is an exponent of the racist ‘great replacement’ conspiracy theory that Europe is being overrun by non-white immigrants and faces ‘civilisational erasure’. The Trump administration has taken an explicit anti-European Union and anti-Ukrainian stand for the last year, backing Russia’s claims to territory in eastern Ukraine and cutting military aid to Kyiv.”
After JD Vance’s visit to Hungary, Orban’s popularity decreased even further.
Orbán Defeated
ABC News wrote on April 12:
“The big election over the weekend was in a small European country nearly half a world away from Washington, but the defeat of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has significant reverberations in the United States…. Orbán’s loss was a reminder of how the war has diminished Trump’s ability to help allied politicians overseas…
“Orbán’s defeat has immediate global implications because he was the European leader closest to Russian President Vladimir Putin and had blocked European Union aid to Ukraine, which is defending itself after Russian’s 2022 invasion.”
The Sun added on April 13:
“The result is also a huge blow to Russian tyrant Putin – who has enjoyed Orbán’s consistent anti-Ukraine rhetoric within the EU over the last four years. His defeat could pave the way for an £80billion loan to Ukraine which had previously been blocked by Orbán…
“European leaders took to social media to congratulate Magyar – with French president Emmanuel Macron, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and German chancellor Friedrich Merz hailing the victory.”
This was foreseeable. Hungary will become a strong supporter of Europe and possibly one of Europe’s core member states.
British Navy in Trouble
Daily Mail wrote on March 26:
“Trump today described Britain’s aircraft carriers as ‘toys compared to what we have’ in his latest swipe at the UK’s lack of support for his war against Iran… it comes at a time when the Royal Navy’s ability to wage war and defend Britain is being thrown further into doubt, after we had to ask Germany for the use of a warship to keep a major Nato commitment…
“Defence Secretary John Healey was this morning unable to say how many of the Royal Navy’s surface fleet of 17 frigates and destroyers is currently fit to fight, when grilled over the state of the service. But he admitted he was ‘not happy with the situation we have with British warships’.”
US Pulling Out of NATO?
The Telegraph wrote on April 1:
“Donald Trump has told The Telegraph he is strongly considering pulling the United States out of Nato after it failed to join his war on Iran. The US president labelled the alliance a ‘paper tiger’ and said removing America from the defence treaty was now ‘beyond reconsideration’. It is the strongest sign yet that the White House no longer regards Europe as a reliable defence partner following the rejection of Mr Trump’s demand that allies send warships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz…
“The White House has grown increasingly frustrated with long-time partners over their position in the war. Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, accused Nato of being a ‘one-way street’ as he hit out at US allies for not allowing access to their military bases on Tuesday… Mr Rubio said America would have to ‘re-examine’ its Nato membership when the war in Iran came to an end… Sources close to the president said he was also considering pulling US troops out of Germany…
“Any decision to withdraw the US from Nato would require approval from Congress… Ivo Daalder, who served as Barack Obama’s ambassador to Nato, said: ‘What the president can do – and there’s no question about this – he can withdraw all American troops, he can withdraw all Americans from the command structure, he can say Article 5, but don’t count on military capabilities let alone nuclear if you get attacked. All of that is legal.’”
Leaving NATO?
Politico wrote on April 1:
“Trump’s latest rhetoric on American participation in NATO was extreme even for his standards…
“European officials worry that Trump might try [to] stay in the alliance but starve NATO of high-level attention and military assets. They fear Trump’s rhetoric has already rendered NATO meaningless. ‘With Trump in office, NATO is worthless,’ said a German official. ‘We might have NATO, but we no longer have an alliance. We’re biding our time here, but the damage is immense.’”
A “European” NATO?
The U.S. Sun wrote on April 15:
“EUROPEAN nations are hatching a secret plan to form a new Nato – as the looming threat of US withdrawal makes the continent vulnerable to Vladimir Putin… Trump’s threat to seize Greenland from Denmark is said to have moved the plan up the priority list and it has since gained even more urgency in the wake of the Iran war.
“It has been boosted after a spectacular reversal from Germany, which has long defended America’s position as the ultimate guarantor of European security…. But the challenge to build a new pact from scratch will be enormous.”
EU Lawmakers Call for Joint Military Drills
United 24 Media wrote on April 4:
“German lawmakers in the European Parliament are calling for immediate joint EU military exercises following renewed threats from US President Donald Trump to withdraw the United States from NATO…
“Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chair of the EU Defence Committee, described NATO as the continent’s ‘military backbone’ but warned that the United States can no longer be viewed as a reliable partner. While she emphasized the importance of maintaining ties with non-EU NATO members like the United Kingdom, Norway, and Canada, she insisted that the European Parliament must ensure military capabilities are fully available and independent…
“As the rift between Washington and its traditional allies widens, the push for military independence in Brussels has moved from a theoretical policy to a matter of immediate survival… This adherence to independent defense policies has become the primary catalyst for President Trump’s ‘paper tiger’ rhetoric and the subsequent drive in Brussels to establish a security framework capable of operating without Washington’s involvement.”
Germany’s Largest Medical Exercise
Express wrote April 4:
“This week, for the first time in decades, Germany carried out its largest medical exercise in decades as Russia’s threat to Europe increases the possibility of large‑scale war.
“The NATO ‘Quadriga 2026’ exercise took place in Lithuania and simulated evacuating wounded soldiers from the country and transporting them to hospitals across Germany. The prospect of a large-scale war is not being taken lightly by Europe.”
Germany’s Preparation for War
Breitbart wrote on April 4:
“Military-age men in Germany must now seek permission to leave the country for more than three months as a result of Berlin’s new conscription rules… meaning that all men between the ages of 17 and 45 must receive dispensation from the military to travel abroad for more than three months.
“A Ministry of Defence spokesman attempted to downplay the regulation, telling broadcaster NTV that requests are almost always approved, because ‘military service is based exclusively on voluntary activity under current law… In case of an emergency, we need to know who is staying abroad for a longer period of time,’ the spokesman said… “
Deutsche Welle added on April 4:
“The Frankfurter Rundschau… said the rule would apply regardless of whether a German man ‘planned a semester of studying abroad, working in a foreign country or going on a backpacking trip around the world.’…
“From mid-2027, all men turning 18 will also be required to appear for a fitness test to determine who could be drafted in the event of conflict — a highly controversial measure that has been slammed by critics as a first step towards full conscription.”
The provision became the issue of hot displeasure. Germany decided to retreat… but the damage was done.
Germany Retreats…
BBC News wrote on April 8:
“Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius says men of military age in Germany do not need to report lengthy stays abroad. His statement comes after a controversy broke out over the possible consequences of a new law which re-introduced military service in Germany… The requirement to obtain permission had gone largely unnoticed until it was reported by a German newspaper last week….
“Now, Boris Pistorius from the Social Democrats has told the German Press Agency (DPA) that he is introducing an exemption. ‘During this peacetime period, there will be no permission procedures. We are suspending the permission requirement as long as military service is voluntary,’ Pistorius said. At the same time, he announced that appropriate procedures would be established in the event of a crisis. He defended the regulation ‘as a precautionary measure.’”
Germany’s government was caught red-handed and due to enormous pressure and outrage, it retreated, for the time being. But the intentions are and have been clear. Pistorius’ conduct has been compared with methods in the former DDR.
Spectacular Journey to the Moon
The Guardian wrote on April 10:
“The number of human beings who have travelled to the moon and returned safely to Earth will grow to 28 [all American] on Friday night when Nasa’s Orion capsule containing four Artemis II astronauts will glide gently to a Pacific Ocean splashdown beneath three giant parachutes. The scheduled 5.07pm PT landing (1.07am BST Saturday) off the coast of San Diego will mark the end of a 10-day lunar odyssey that made the three Americans and one Canadian the first people to travel beyond lower Earth orbit since the final mission of the Apollo program in December 1972…”
Artemis II Back Home
“NASA’s Artemis II crew has successfully splashed down after their historic Moon mission, as the Orion spacecraft made a fiery plunge through Earth’s atmosphere Friday night. The spacecraft reached blistering speeds of up to 25,000 miles per hour before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California.
“The four-person crew, NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, along with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, wrapped up a ten-day mission that carried them around the moon and farther than any human had ever traveled into space before. The journey marked the first time in more than 50 years that humans have traveled this far into space and viewed the lunar surface with the naked eye since the Apollo era.
“During the mission, the astronauts also passed behind the moon, flying over the mysterious far side, often referred to as the moon’s dark side because it permanently faces away from Earth. The historic flight also shattered a decades-old distance record set during Apollo 13 in 1970, when astronauts traveled 248,655 miles from Earth. Artemis II surpassed that milestone by thousands of miles, setting a new distance record for human spaceflight.
“With a historic moon mission now complete, NASA administrators fielded multiple questions Friday night about the plans for the next mission after Artemis II, which is now scheduled to be Artemis III in 2027. Artemis III will also involve a lunar flyby but no landing.
“Currently, NASA’s revamped plan for the moon includes sending an additional space flight, Artemis IV, as soon as 2028. That mission is expected to land on the lunar surface for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972… that mission will also begin the work of building a permanent US moon base which will facilitate future human space travel and a manned mission to Mars.”
Rewriting the Constitution on Birthright Citizenship
Fox News wrote on March 29:
“The Supreme Court is poised to answer a fundamental constitutional question largely ignored for more than a century: Who qualifies as an American citizen? The justices… will review… Trump’s efforts to limit birthright citizenship in the U.S., a landmark case with the potential to upend the lives of millions of Americans and lawful residents. At issue is the executive order the president signed on his first day back in office, which would end automatic citizenship for nearly all persons born in the U.S. to undocumented parents, or parents with lawful temporary status in the country — a seismic legal, political, and social shift that critics note would break with more than 150 years of legal precedent.
“A ruling is expected within three months, but until then, Trump’s plans remain on hold… To date, no court has sided with the Trump administration’s interpretation of the 14th Amendment, and blocked the order from taking force. The ACLU and other immigrant advocacy groups in the U.S., have accused Trump of attempting to ‘unilaterally rewrite the 14th Amendment.’… A recent Pew Research poll asked Americans whether they wanted children of immigrants, temporary immigrants or any immigrants lawfully present in the United States to be citizens, and 94% said yes.”
Trump Attends Oral Argument… Sort Of…
The Mirror wrote on March 2:
“Trump was met with furious protests as he arrived at the nation’s highest court at around 10 a.m. He was pictured in his motorcade as demonstrators swarmed the steps of the court, advocating against Trump’s plan to limit birthright citizenship — which has largely been understood to be guaranteed under the Fourteenth Amendment. …
“[Trump] stayed for the arguments made by U.S. Solicitor General John Sauer in favor of his plan to limit birthright citizenship, but then left as soon as Cecillia Wang, the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), began arguing against it…”
Politico wrote on April 1:
“President Donald Trump’s unusual presence at the Supreme Court on Wednesday didn’t seem to sway the justices, who sounded broadly skeptical about his attempt to upend the country’s long tradition of birthright citizenship. Trump looked on from the front row of the public gallery as Solicitor General John Sauer attempted to defend Trump’s executive order that would deny U.S. citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants and foreigners on temporary visas. The court’s conservative majority joined the liberals in aggressively questioning Sauer about the potential implications of disturbing the decades-long consensus on citizenship….
“Chief Justice John Roberts suggested it was strange for the administration to seize on some narrow exceptions to the birthright citizenship rule, such as an exclusion for American Indians and for children of diplomats, in order to justify denying citizenship to millions of children of undocumented immigrants and visitors… Even Justice Samuel Alito, one of the court’s most strident conservatives, expressed some discomfort with the administration’s claim that the children of undocumented immigrants who’d spent years living in the U.S. could be denied citizenship on the grounds that their parents were not ‘domiciled” here…
“Justice Neil Gorsuch also expressed doubt about the administration’s claim that one has to be living legally in the U.S. to be domiciled here and get citizenship for a child. He noted that when the 14th Amendment was adopted in the 1860s the U.S. had no real immigration laws and left foreigners free to take up residence here…
“Sauer repeatedly emphasized Wednesday that Trump’s order only applies to children that would be born in the future, but several justices said a ruling that the 14th Amendment doesn’t automatically confer citizenship on those born in the U.S. would also cast doubt on the citizenship of those already born and assumed to be citizens…”
ABC News wrote on April 1:
“After the hearing concluded, Trump wrote in a social media post that the U.S. is ‘stupid’ to allow the practice… saying judges and justices who disagreed with his policies are ‘stupid people.’”
Trump’s attempt to rewrite the Constitution should have no chance of being victorious … His outrage is deplorable.
What the Mueller Report Did (Not) Conclude
The National Circus wrote on March 24:
“Donald Trump has never really closed the book on Robert Mueller…
“Mueller’s March 2019 report did not accuse Trump of conspiring with Russia, but it also did not deliver the sweeping exoneration Trump allies often advertise. In Volume II, Mueller’s team made a point of explaining why it was not making a traditional prosecutorial judgment on obstruction of justice for a sitting president.
“The line that refuses to die is this: ‘If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.’ That sentence, in the DOJ report, is the crack in the wall for critics, and the reason Trump keeps trying to mortar it shut with repetition.”
Bondi Gone
npr wrote on April 2:
“President Trump announced Thursday that Attorney General Pam Bondi is out from the top job at the Justice Department. Her departure comes amid simmering frustration over her leadership and her handling of the Epstein files… A longtime Trump loyalist, Bondi is the second member of the president’s Cabinet to be forced out. Her departure comes almost one month after Trump fired Kristi Noem as secretary of Homeland Security.
“Bondi leaves after a tumultuous 14 months in charge that critics say damaged the Justice Department’s credibility, hollowed out the career ranks and undermined the rule of law… she used the department’s vast powers to go after the president’s perceived foes. That includes the high-profile cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, which were brought after Trump publicly called on Bondi to prosecute them.
“A federal judge later tossed both cases after finding the acting U.S. attorney who secured the indictments was unlawfully appointed. Other political opponents of the president or individuals standing in the way of his agenda also have found themselves under DOJ investigation, including Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff, and former Obama-era intelligence officials James Clapper and John Brennan.
“Bondi also oversaw sweeping changes to the career workforce at the department. The agency fired prosecutors and FBI officials who worked on Capitol riot cases or the Trump investigations.”
Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:
These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.
