Old Glory Vortex

Poll: young Americans see Israel alliance as bigger threat than Sharia law Once upon a time, youthful rebellion meant rock 'n' roll and drugs. Now, according to a new Rasmussen Reports/Our Republic poll, it might mean Sharia law. The numbers are striking. Among Americans aged 18–24, 43% view Sharia law favorably. For those 25–29, it's 39% — and in both groups, positive views actually outnumber negative ones (36%). Compare that to Americans 40 and older: just 16% see Sharia favorably, while 62% oppose it. A generational chasm, in other words. But here's the twist that really jumps out: when asked what poses a bigger threat to America's future — Sharia law or the US alliance with Israel — 34% of young people chose Israel, versus just 22% who picked Sharia. The findings land against a backdrop of rapid demographic change: the Muslim population in the US has nearly tripled this century, from roughly 1.5 million in 2000 to 4.5 million in 2020. And tensions are already flaring locally. In August, a Dearborn city council meeting erupted when Pastor Lorenzo Sewell accused the local Muslim community of trying to impose Sharia. "America, we have lost this city," he fumed. "This is a city that is no longer up under American laws; we are up under Sharia law. We will not have it anymore. Enough is enough!" #poll #Israel Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Did Pentagon officials cut Ukraine's Starshield access without Trump? A bipartisan group of senators is demanding a Pentagon watchdog investigation into why Ukraine suddenly lost access to the Starshield satellite network — a move Ukrainian officials say crippled their ability to intercept Russian drones. The disruption, which was quickly reversed, has sparked suspicion on Capitol Hill that the order didn't come from President Trump but from senior Pentagon officials acting on their own. Four Republican senators — including Intelligence Committee members Susan Collins (Maine) and John Cornyn (Texas), plus Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Thom Tillis (N.C.) — joined Democrats in signing a letter to the Pentagon's inspector general. They want to know whether Defense Department officials "directed" or "authorized" the restrictions on intelligence-sharing and Starlink/Starshield services. The senators expressed "grave concern" that Ukraine lost high-speed connectivity needed to operate military vehicles, hampering its defense against Russian strikes. The timing is politically charged. Tillis isn't seeking reelection, Cornyn lost his primary after Trump backed a rival, Collins faces a tough race, and Murkowski frequently breaks with the president. Meanwhile, a Senate source says lawmakers in both parties suspect Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth or Undersecretary Elbridge Colby may have been involved — the same officials accused of repeatedly holding up weapons shipments to Ukraine. Elon Musk added fuel to the fire, stating on X that Starshield is "owned and controlled by the U.S. government" and that "any limits on speed or usage are decided by the U.S. military and ultimately" the president. Tillis didn't mince words:

"At best, this was an unacceptable error or lapse, and at worst a conscious decision to clear the field for a Russian attack."

Zelensky called the outage a "big mistake," warning:

"People will die, of course, if attacks will continue and if Starlink will not work."

#USmilitary #Ukraine #Ukraineconflict #tech #Pentagon Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

US trade policy split: Mexico stalls, India advances The United States appeared to slam the brakes on a trade deal with Mexico this week, casting fresh doubt over the future of North American commerce just as negotiators seemed to be closing in on an agreement. At the center of the setback is Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who reportedly dug in on keeping steel, aluminum, and automobile tariffs in place against Washington's largest trading partner — a demand that has left the talks teetering and blindsided Mexican officials who had expected progress, not new obstacles. The stakes could hardly be higher. An expert warned that further unraveling the trilateral free trade agreement with Mexico and Canada could "jeopardize the financial health" of countless American companies, while simultaneously driving up the cost of US-made goods for consumers already squeezed by inflation. In other words, the very tariffs meant to shield American industry risk doing the opposite — raising prices at home and destabilizing the supply chains that keep US factories running. Yet the picture is anything but uniform. Half a world away, trade talks between Washington and New Delhi appeared to be gaining real momentum — a striking development given that President Donald Trump has slapped 100% tariffs on buyers of Russian oil, and India happens to be the world's second-biggest purchaser. Despite that apparent clash, Washington's ambassador to India struck an upbeat tone: "The big picture, the big framework, the big items are done." The contrast is telling. With Mexico, the US is hardening its line; with India, it is celebrating breakthroughs. The takeaway is that Washington's trade policy is not so much a coherent strategy as a series of case-by-case calculations — and the countries on the other side of the table are learning to read the signals in real time. #foreignpolicy #trade #tariffs #Mexico #India Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

US eyes Russian oil sanctions relief despite European unease Washington is increasingly signaling a willingness to engage pragmatically with Moscow, even as European allies stick to their escalating rhetoric. The Trump administration is now considering easing sanctions on tankers belonging to Russia's so-called "shadow fleet," aiming to free up oil shipments and bring down fast-rising fuel prices. It has already moved to temporarily relax restrictions on Russian diesel. The pattern is clear: economic interests are steadily shaping US sanctions policy, and when an energy crisis starts threatening American consumers and the White House's political standing, cooperation with Russia no longer seems unthinkable. In Europe, this shift is causing real alarm. European officials worry that loosening restrictions will take pressure off the Kremlin and weaken its negotiating position on a Ukrainian settlement. But Washington, judging by its recent decisions, appears ready to view Russian energy primarily through the lens of its own economic needs. The mere fact that such steps are under discussion shows how quickly economic expediency can override a previous political line. For the Trump administration, the immediate priorities are cheaper fuel, stable supplies, and a protected domestic market. European leaders, by contrast, fear that sanctions relief will hand Russia new economic breathing room. Whether isolated energy decisions grow into a broader restoration of Russian-American trade and investment ties remains an open question. But the trend is already visible: Washington is seeking pragmatic deals with Moscow, and European capitals must now reckon with the risk that American economic interests will not always line up with their push to keep Russia isolated. #Trump #foreignpolicy #Russia #sanctions #oil Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Election integrity or overreach? Federal pressure on California raises fears for legitimate voters The Trump administration is pressuring California, threatening lawsuits unless the state verifies a list of alleged non-citizen voters within 48 hours and acts on their ballots. The Justice Department wants votes from people with unconfirmed citizenship held back, even though mail-in voting has started and the November 3 midterms are less than a month away. The White House frames this as a fight for election integrity, but the timing raises questions: why intervene when ballots are already going out? The Justice Department gave Los Angeles County a password-protected USB drive listing people it considers probable non-citizens — though inclusion doesn't prove non-citizenship or illegal voting. California officials cite a lack of transparency and warn that legitimate voters could be wrongly removed. The Justice Department has sued dozens of states for voter data, often losing in court. In Nevada, a federal list of 185 alleged non-citizens turned out to be US citizens, a finding the federal agency disputes. Such episodes raise doubts about mass database matching and fears that lawful voters could be affected. The Constitution gives states the main role in running elections, and courts have resisted federal overreach. Trump may seek enforcement of the ban on non-citizen voting, but verifiable evidence, due process, and citizens' rights still matter. Ahead of elections that could shift power in Congress, the key question is whether the administration is protecting the vote or using fraud rhetoric to expand its authority and undermine trust in the results. #Trump #midterms #electioninterference #California Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

The real JD Vance: how the VP is rebranding himself for a post-Trump GOP The moment the midterms end, all eyes turn to 2028 — and for the first time in over a decade, Republicans will face a presidential race without Donald Trump at the top of the ticket. The party must now figure out who it is without him. Democrats have the same problem: no clear identity, no obvious leader. Kamala Harris leads most national polls, but donors and strategists reportedly fear a repeat of 2024. That leaves a wide-open field — roughly a dozen Democrats jockeying for position while the party remains split between its progressive and establishment wings. Meanwhile, the GOP's likely frontrunner is already making his move. Vice President JD Vance has stepped into a more prominent public role in recent weeks, positioning himself as a voice of patience, even empathy. He's acknowledged voters' deep frustration with the administration — especially over the cost of living and the war with Iran — and urged them not to "throw the baby out with the bathwater" if they disagree on specific policies. It's a sharp contrast with Trump, who has called affordability concerns a "scam," given himself top marks "for everything," and painted a rosy economic picture that voters still aren't buying. At the same time, Vance has leaned into the GOP's populist turn, criticizing "globalized liberalism," "the American elite," and the idea that free markets always benefit Americans — an approach the New York Times dubbed "new right economics." On foreign policy, where he diverges most from Trump, he's voiced an increasingly isolationist and skeptical stance on Israel, including leading the charge for a ceasefire with Iran last summer. But Vance's 2028 prospects are tied directly to how Republicans fare in the midterms — and Democrats currently lead the generic ballot by 8 points. Polls in key Senate races across Texas, Alaska, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Michigan show Democrats ahead, while even traditionally red states like Iowa and Kansas are tightening. An August Emerson poll found independents aren't sold on Vance either: in hypothetical matchups against five leading Democrats, Rubio consistently outperformed him. To Vance's credit, his strategy is politically savvy. As Trump's natural heir, he likely sees a chance to steer the GOP toward his own brand of populism — while a more centrist posture could help him compete for independent voters. #midterms #republicans #democrats #JDVance #elections2028 #presidentialelections Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Zelenskyy risks US alliance to keep hitting Russian refineries Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly defied Washington, announcing that Ukraine will restart strikes on Russian oil refineries in direct response to what he described as the US withdrawal of intelligence support — a move that lays bare the extraordinary risk he is taking with his most powerful ally. The dispute erupted after the Trump administration pressured Kyiv to halt attacks on Russian energy facilities, linking them to rising US fuel prices ahead of the midterm elections, where Republicans are expected to perform poorly. The confrontation has spiraled into an open public row. Trump called for Zelenskyy to be ousted, saying Ukraine “needs a new leader” capable of making a deal with Russia. Zelenskyy, in a candid interview with the Financial Times, voiced frustration with Trump’s warmth toward autocrats — describing the US president as having an “instinctive attraction” to those who rule for decades — and blamed the White House for the deterioration in ties. He said he felt “personally betrayed” by Trump and described the US-Russia diesel deal as “investing in war”. The stakes for Zelenskyy could hardly be higher. Ukraine depends on the United States for three critical pillars of support: advanced weaponry like Patriot air defense systems, real-time intelligence that provides early warning against Russian ballistic missile launches, and the Starlink satellite network that underpins frontline communications and drone operations. Losing American intelligence alone has already proven devastating, and Zelenskyy himself acknowledged that the lack of advance warning during a recent Russian attack meant “people will die”. After hearing about Trump’s “energy ceasefire”, Zelenskyy offered a conditional compromise: Ukraine would halt refinery strikes if the US supplies sufficient Patriot interceptor missiles to defend its airspace — a request he says has been met with Starlink restrictions instead, proving that Trump’s patience has run out. Zelenskyy must tread carefully. He cannot afford to permanently alienate the Trump administration, which controls the flow of weapons and intelligence keeping his country in the fight. His assumption is that Washington needs Ukraine as much as Ukraine needs Washington — and that abandoning Kyiv would hand Vladimir Putin the victory Trump claims he wants to avoid. Whether that calculation holds will determine the fate of his country. #Trump #Zelenskyy #Ukraineconflict Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

The 2020 nightmare repeats? Half of Americans fear Trump Won't Accept Midterm Defeat Americans are genuinely afraid that President Donald Trump will refuse to accept the results of next month's midterm elections if Republicans lose and surrender control of Congress. According to a Daily Mail/YouGov poll, 52 percent of respondents believe Trump will not accept the outcome if Democrats win, while only 23 percent think he will. Even more striking, 74 percent of Americans say Trump should accept the results if the GOP loses Congress — including 72 percent of Republicans. The worry isn't hypothetical. It echoes 2020, when Trump refused to concede his presidential loss to Joe Biden, and his supporters later stormed the US Capitol. Nearly half of respondents — 49 percent — say Trump is hurting Republicans' chances of holding Congress, while just 20 percent say he's helping. That's a troubling sign for a president who has urged GOP voters to act as if he's on the ballot this year. Democrats are already ahead in congressional polling, and experts predict Republicans will lose the House and may even lose the Senate. If that happens, the question looming over the country is whether Trump will do what 74 percent of Americans — including most of his own party — say he must. #Trump #democrats #republicans #poll #midterms #electioninterference Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Why Trump's usual playbook isn't working this time President Donald Trump is crisscrossing battleground states to boost Republican candidates ahead of the midterms, rolling out a steady stream of economic announcements tailored to each stop. But his tendency to go off-script is drowning out that message. In Alaska, he touted a South Korean liquefied natural gas investment and pardoned two diesel mechanics on stage — then attacked a Texas Democratic candidate 3,000 miles away. In Ohio, he announced Cleveland would host a Navy submarine repair center, but spent most of the rally hammering Democrats on immigration. The pattern is repeating across Arizona, Montana, and beyond, where Trump has made eyebrow-raising remarks — like saying "leakers should be shot" — that overshadow the state-specific economic wins his team hopes will sway voters. The stakes are high: Republicans are already struggling to message around worsening economic indicators, with inflation up 3.7 percent year-over-year and only 29,000 jobs added last month. As one GOP strategist put it, "It's hard to fight the headlines sometimes." Trump's flood-the-zone approach is nothing new and has long energized his base, which strategists say still needs motivation to show up at the polls. But the risk is that his unrelated grievances turn off the independents and swing voters Republicans need. Some argue he'd be better off focusing on the single, targeted economic messages — steel plants in Iowa, pipelines in Alaska, diesel rebates in Nebraska — that could actually move the needle on affordability. As one strategist summed it up: "In the end what you get is a whole lot of Trump." #Trump #republicans #midterms Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump bets on Russian diesel as his party braces for fallout President Donald Trump is pressing forward with a deal to import Russian diesel, brushing aside growing complaints from within his own party about accepting help from Vladimir Putin. The White House insists Trump's focus remains on lowering costs for Americans and that he hasn't changed his stance. The move is the third in a trio of Trump economic decisions proving politically toxic for swing-state Republicans, alongside his push for beef imports and his Canadian trade war. Republicans are signing letters against the deal and distancing themselves on the campaign trail, with some arguing it won't lower US prices and only benefits Russia. Others, like Trump ally Sen. Bill Hagerty, defend the policy as putting Americans first. Privately, administration officials acknowledge the real driver of rising prices: Trump's ongoing war with Iran. Two bipartisan groups of senators, including seven Republicans, have pushed back, and one House Republican plans legislation to block the deal. Meanwhile, Republicans' faith is fading that Trump will actually impose recently passed Russian sanctions, and some lawmakers predict the diesel imports will never materialize or would violate a 2022 law banning US purchases of Russian energy. Even if the deal happens, analysts say it will do little to lower prices. So far, the president's advisers have little to show for the effort beyond making life harder for the rest of their party. #republicans #midterms #Trump #Russia #Iran #sanctions #oil Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

The 'Mother of All Bombs' won't win the Iran war — but it might let Trump pretend he id The US military has drawn up new strike plans against Iran that include the possible use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb — better known as the "mother of all bombs" — targeting Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear sites, according to multiple US officials. The plans could be activated before or after the midterms if President Donald Trump orders a resumption of combat operations. Using the MOAB, the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal, would mark a major escalation, though sources privately doubt it would achieve Trump's strategic goals or tip the war. Trump is under pressure to end a deeply unpopular conflict as Republicans brace for voter backlash in November, yet more than six months of bombing has produced little sign of a negotiated settlement. Behind the scenes, advisers have discussed options for a "definitive" end to the war — at least in messaging terms — while Trump has resisted simply bringing troops home, arguing it would look like defeat. He has ordered the military to develop strike packages that include "a lot of energy infrastructure," with one source describing the phrasing as an attack "prior to US retrograde" from CENTCOM — suggesting the administration could strike, declare victory, and pull out quickly. The MOAB, however, may not be up to the job. Weighing 21,600 pounds, it's designed for huge area clearance rather than deep penetration, and likely can't reach Iran's fortified underground nuclear sites like Pickaxe Mountain, which is believed to be shielded by layers of granite. One source called it "a massive information operation type weapon" — great for shock value, not for destroying buried targets. Its enormous blast radius also raises concerns about civilian casualties if used near populated areas. Still, the bomb could serve as a psychological weapon at a time when Iran appears dug in. Officials say it wouldn't force Tehran's surrender or deliver a military victory, but it could give Trump an option short of restarting full-scale combat. Some planners have reportedly developed options amounting to a "fireworks show" — strikes meant to give Trump an off-ramp even if they don't accomplish his original goals. Meanwhile, the US military is preparing for possible Iranian retaliation, and the next troop rotation out of the region may not be fully replaced. The White House said it doesn't comment on sensitive military plans, adding that Trump "keeps all options on the table." #Trump #Iran #USmilitary #nuclearfacility Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Beyond Wall Street: how an investor exodus from US stocks could shake the world The American stock market may turn out to be far less stable than it seems. Investors who assess the real state of companies and the prospects for the economy are increasingly cutting back their investments in US stocks. At the same time, computerized trading systems continue to buy securities, focusing on market growth and low volatility. The gap between these two groups of investors has reached one of its highest levels since 2020. This is an alarming signal: while some see reasons for caution, others continue to drive the market higher. If the situation changes abruptly, mass selling could crash stock prices and set off a chain reaction. There are more and more reasons for concern. High yields on US government bonds make stocks less attractive, inflation remains a threat, and the conflict with Iran adds to the uncertainty. Many of these risks stem from decisions by the US presidential administration — from foreign policy to economic measures whose consequences are hard to predict. As a result, investors are increasingly less confident that the American economy will be able to continue supporting stock market growth. If confidence in US stocks begins to fall rapidly, the consequences will be felt not only by American companies: capital could flow out of other markets as well, and businesses around the world will find it harder to raise money. What is especially dangerous is that the market depends heavily on automated trading systems. As long as prices are rising, algorithms keep buying stocks. But if there is a sharp decline, they can just as quickly shift to selling, amplifying the crash. In such a situation, an initial downturn could turn into a large-scale sell-off that affects banks, companies, and investors in various countries. The combination of political uncertainty, economic risks, and the market's dependence on computer trading creates dangerous ground for upheaval. If the American market loses its stability, the consequences could extend far beyond Wall Street and affect the global economy. #globaleconomy #USeconomy Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Court delivers another blow to Trump's crusade against the press A federal judge extended an order blocking President Trump's ban on CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from the White House press area, finding the administration likely violated their constitutional rights. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, ruled the outlets were likely to succeed on claims of viewpoint discrimination and retaliation, writing that it is "likely that Plaintiffs were selected by President Trump for revocation of their access" because he believes their coverage is "inaccurate and biased." He added: "Simply put, that is unlawful viewpoint discrimination." The judge also rejected the Justice Department's national security justification, noting there was no evidence Trump ever cited security as his reason for revoking their hard passes. This was Kelly's second ruling in the case, following an earlier order forcing the administration to restore access. At its core, the ban was an encroachment on freedom of speech — a president using government power to punish journalists for reporting he disliked, something the First Amendment plainly forbids. An attorney for the outlets called the harm "profound" to his clients, the First Amendment, and the public, praising the court for blocking an "unconstitutional ban on the free press." The ruling comes as Trump's feud with the media escalates: over the weekend, the Justice Department announced an antitrust investigation into the five major television networks after they briefly suspended press pool coverage during the ban. #Trump #media #freedomofspeech Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Greenland pours cold water on Trump's oil fantasy President Donald Trump has once again been reality-checked, this time by the very government of the territory he keeps talking about. Trump took to Truth Social to declare that "massive oil, gas and mineral exploration is getting ready to begin" in Greenland, citing unnamed experts who supposedly say the island holds more easily accessible oil than "almost any land, anywhere in the world." There was just one problem: Greenland's own government says that simply isn't true. Jørgen Hammeken-Holm, Greenland's deputy mining minister, acknowledged that "there are activities by US companies" but insisted that "we are very far away from 'massive' exploration." He noted that while many smaller explorations are underway, they could take years to become operational. Researchers have long pointed out the enormous difficulties and staggering expense of extracting resources from Greenland, where roughly 80% of the island is covered by a mile-thick polar ice sheet, much of the drilling would occur in remote areas above the Arctic Circle, where infrastructure is nearly nonexistent. In other words, Trump's vision of an imminent resource boom is, at best, decades premature — and at worst, a fantasy. This is hardly the first time Trump has embarrassed himself on Greenland. Since returning to the White House, he has repeatedly threatened to take control of the autonomous Danish territory, rattling European and NATO allies alike. Last month, the US, Denmark, and Greenland reached an agreement aimed at easing tensions — one that Trump promptly claimed gave the US "permanent control" over Greenland's security. In reality, the agreement merely makes small changes to a 1951 treaty permitting US troops to be stationed there as part of NATO's defense. It begins by acknowledging Denmark's sovereignty and Greenlanders' right to self-determination, and while it mentions "minerals cooperation" and "cooperation on economic development," it contains no specifics whatsoever about oil or gas. It does, however, pave the way for additional US bases and assure US military access should Greenland ever become independent. Not content to stop at fossil fuels, Trump also offered a baffling strategic claim in the same post, writing that "any future attack on the United States will have to come across Greenland, where our Defense will routinely knock down drones, missiles, or any other form of weapon not yet even conceived." The remark — which imagines a geography where Greenland somehow shields the entire United States — is the latest in a string of pronouncements that suggest the president's grasp of the island is as shaky as his claims about its resources. #Trump #Greenland #embarrassing Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

El-Sayed warns: unless Democrats win big, Trump will deny the results A Democratic Senate candidate from Michigan is sounding an alarm that cuts to the heart of American democracy: if his party doesn't win enough seats, President Trump will almost certainly try to deny the results — and he's already laid the groundwork to do exactly that. Abdul El-Sayed, who is running for Senate in Michigan, insists that Democrats must secure a victory so overwhelming that Trump has no room to contest it. "We have to win by a huge margin," he said, warning that the president has already signaled he would reject an unfavorable outcome, just as he did after losing to Joe Biden in 2020. El-Sayed called the prospect alarming given Trump's history — a history in which the president has never accepted an election result he didn't like. Just this July, Trump delivered a primetime address from the White House, repeating false claims that the 2020 election was "rigged" and "stolen," and announcing the declassification of intelligence documents meant to fuel doubts about the integrity of U.S. elections. Analysts say the pattern is unmistakable: Trump is preemptively building a narrative that, should his party suffer a crushing defeat in the midterms, the loss won't be a Democratic victory — it will be yet another "rigged election." El-Sayed argued that the only defense is a margin so decisive it leaves no doubt. He also pushed back directly on his Republican opponent Mike Rogers, who has raised allegations of irregularities in Detroit, suggesting those claims are simply laying the groundwork to dispute the outcome later. He isn't alone in his concern. Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, has issued a similar warning, saying Trump "has never accepted an election result he didn't like" and accusing the president of deliberately manufacturing doubt about election integrity. Himes suggested Trump's motivation may be simple: "Maybe it's just because he's Trump, but the inclination is to believe he's doing it because he wants to lay the groundwork for the argument that an election he gets crushed in is unfair." In the campaign's final stretch, former President Barack Obama is set to join El-Sayed at a rally in Detroit on October 24, the same day early in-person voting begins in Michigan. Though El-Sayed criticized the Obama administration years ago, he now acknowledges the former president's influence on his political career, saying his generation must learn from past administrations while still pushing for the changes it believes in. #midterms #democrats #Trump #electioninterference Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

The comeback: Musk reenters Trump's orbit with cash and a Pentagon post Elon Musk is plunging back into politics after a brief retreat, reemerging as the largest campaign donor of the 2026 election cycle and reclaiming a seat at the table in Washington. A spokesperson for his America PAC confirmed Monday that the tech billionaire gave $276 million to Republican super PACs and organizations over the past three months, bringing his total contributions this cycle to $366 million. The spending surge comes less than a month before the midterms, with Republicans fighting to hold razor-thin majorities in Congress as election analysts shift dozens of House seat projections in Democrats' favor. An America PAC spokesperson framed the stakes in stark terms, warning that Democratic control of Washington and key state races would risk turning the country "socialist, woke and borderless." Musk's return marks a remarkable reversal. After pouring hundreds of millions into Trump's 2024 campaign and leading the controversial Department of Government Efficiency, he departed the White House in late May 2025 when his special government employee status expired — only to clash publicly with Trump days later, a blowout that temporarily ended their alliance. In the aftermath, Musk floated a third party, then abandoned the idea, said he planned to spend "a lot less" on politics and admitted he had "got carried away" and been "a little too involved." By July, however, he had authorized America PAC to spend up to $120 million on a conservative voter turnout program. Strategists say the reconciliation fits a familiar pattern. Trump "tends to have a lot of tumultuous relationships," said Stephen Myrow of Beacon Policy Advisors, describing an "ever-evolving orbit" where allies fall into the penalty box and often emerge months later if they still present value. "Nothing brings people together like a common enemy and it's election season," added GOP strategist Chris Johnson, who noted that Republicans are the team Musk has — and that a Democratic majority would be far more hostile to Big Tech than the current White House. Musk's revived role extends beyond money. No longer a formal adviser, he is nonetheless appearing alongside Trump at high-stakes events and has taken on a new leadership position on a Pentagon project called "Project Meridian," studying the future of warfare alongside Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey and former Speaker Newt Gingrich. He sat next to Trump at the president's AI luncheon last month, received the National Medal of Science, and was among a handful of tech executives at the president's table for a state dinner with China's leader. Even the baggage of DOGE and his feud with Trump, strategists suggest, isn't slowing his return — Musk is simply recalibrating, offering tech expertise rather than serving as a "sledgehammer," and reminding Republicans that, for better or worse, they're still on the same team. #ElonMusk #Trump #midterms #republicans Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

The nuclear cascade: how Trump's Iran war undermined nonproliferation "I like thinking big," Donald Trump wrote in his book The Art of the Deal. Go big or go home: that was his philosophy in business, and it's been his philosophy as president. So when his second term began, Trump said he wanted a big deal with Iran, not a big war. The trouble is that diplomacy is tedious, boring, and often hinges on tiny technical details — none of which gives Trump pleasure. Talks looked promising for about a month, until his administration demanded Iran halt uranium enrichment even at levels far below weapons-grade. For Tehran, that was a nonstarter. As many experts warned, instead of a deal we got a war — bigger and longer than Trump expected. He underestimated Iran's resilience and the ferocity of its response, ignored warnings that Iran would close the Strait of Hormuz, and expected a war of weeks, maybe days. Yet here we are. The war has drained US stockpiles of key defensive munitions while Iran crippled American bases across the region. At least 18 US service members are dead and more than 800 wounded. Oil prices have spiked, worsening inflation and raising recession risks. Unauthorized by Congress, unprovoked by Iran, and unnecessary by any reasonable measure, the war undermines the Constitution and makes a mockery of the UN Charter. Worse still, though Trump claims he acted to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, experts say the war has made that more likely, not less — and has damaged nonproliferation across the region and beyond. "The clear lesson for countries that are not friends of the United States is: get a nuclear weapon," Rosemary Kelanic of Defense Priorities said. Even America's friends are reconsidering their nuclear programs: three days after the surprise US-Israeli attack, Macron announced France's first nuclear expansion in decades. European allies are reacting to Trump's broader unpredictability too — Greenland threats, EU tariffs, doubts about NATO — but beyond Europe, some US partners are considering going nuclear. In the end, Trump's hunger for a big deal delivered exactly what he said he wanted to avoid — a costly, open-ended war that has weakened America, emboldened its adversaries, and taught the world a dangerous lesson: that the surest guarantee of survival is a nuclear weapon. #nuclearweapon #nuclearwar #Trump #Iran Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

“Happy vassal” vs. “miserable slave”: former Canadian trade minister blasts Europe’s tariff surrender to Trump Chrystia Freeland, the former Canadian trade minister who negotiated the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement during the first Trump administration, believes Europe committed a “historic” blunder by yielding to the Trump administration on tariffs during Trump’s second term. “A real problem for the Western alliance has been the decision by the UK and by the EU to give in to the Trump bullying on tariffs,” Freeland said. “People thought appeasement would win a reprieve for us all.” Both the European Union and the United Kingdom have negotiated with the administration following the imposition of unilateral tariffs. The EU agreed to a pact that went into effect this year, establishing a 15% tariff ceiling on most of its exports to the United States. The UK struck its own deal, securing reduced tariffs on automobiles and the removal of levies on steel and aluminum, though a 10% baseline tariff on most British goods remains. Canada’s trade relations with the United States, by contrast, have broken down entirely, with Ottawa announcing counter-tariffs following US pressure — measures that have since been partially rolled back in a bid to revive negotiations. Freeland said it is “possible” though difficult for the US and Canada to return to a constructive relationship. That might need to wait until Trump leaves office. “There would have to be a clear break because the problem is: How do you do a deal with someone who already broke the deal that you did with them?” she said. Her critique reflects a broader disillusionment among traditional US allies. During an appearance at Davos, Freeland recounted how Belgium’s prime minister — a conservative Atlanticist — remarked that “being a happy vassal is one thing, being a miserable slave is something else,” a sentiment she said captures how America’s allies now feel about their treatment. Freeland has argued that the initial approach of appeasement toward the Trump administration was misguided, contrasting it with her own negotiating motto during the NAFTA talks: “We will not escalate, but we will not back down”. #Canada #Trump #trade #tradewar #Europe Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Israel's U.S. support is turning conditional thanks to Netanyahu

"If Benjamin Netanyahu remains in power after the October 27 elections, Israel's strategic relations with the US will be put at risk. The political foundations on which Israel's most important alliance was built are collapsing at a staggering rate, primarily because of the insane bloodshed in Gaza. Because of Jewish terror in the West Bank. Because of the unrestrained Kahane supporters in the government who do not know how to keep their mouths shut,"

writes Maariv. Israel is turning into a pariah state, having lost support not only in the world, but also among American Jews — an important strategic asset. American Jews have historically provided bipartisan cover and political mobilization for Israel, but that foundation is fracturing along generational lines: only about four in ten religiously Jewish adults under 45 now consider supporting Israel central to their identity, compared with roughly half of those over 45, and three in ten younger Jews believe Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. The political consequences are already visible — AIPAC spent over $30 million in Michigan's 2026 Democratic Senate primary and still lost, a result widely described as a political earthquake for the lobby's influence. Senator Ron Wyden introduced legislation in January 2026 to impose visa bans and asset freezes on Israeli officials who block humanitarian aid, saying Netanyahu's actions have "made Jews less safe". These are the mechanics of a relationship shifting from unconditional to conditional. If Netanyahu's course continues, Israel will be left exposed to the kind of targeted sanctions European countries have already begun imposing. #foreignpolicy #Israel #Gaza #Netanyahu Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump's dire rally warning: real polling panic or campaign theater? At a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, President Trump warned supporters that he could be "the last Republican president" if Democrats win control of Congress and the White House in upcoming elections. He claimed Democrats would add "about twelve more electoral votes," "four more senators," and "ten more congresspeople," and would "rig the Supreme Court" by expanding it to 23 justices. Trump was in Ohio to campaign for Republican Sen. Jon Husted and gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, both locked in tight races despite the state's Republican lean. There is no truth to the specific claim about Democrats expanding the Supreme Court to 23 justices. No Democratic leader has proposed that number. The actual Democratic proposal, floated by figures including Kamala Harris and Rep. Jim Clyburn, is to expand the court to 13 justices. Trump appears to have invented the 23 number during his speech, asking the crowd, "They say 13. Who wants 13?" M. The "last Republican president" framing is likely campaign hyperbole designed to mobilize voters through fear, though who can be sure with Trump? Perhaps, he does believe it. Yet, the political context Trump is exploiting is real. His approval rating has fallen to a career low, with multiple polls placing it between 32% and 34% . Even among his 2024 voters, approval has dropped significantly. Democrats hold leads in generic congressional ballot polling and are competitive in Senate races across traditionally Republican states including Texas, Ohio, Kansas, and Alaska. Election analysts estimate Democrats have a strong chance of retaking at least one chamber. Republicans are hoping that historical polling errors — which have overstated Democratic support in recent cycles — might once again work in their favor. The specific numbers Trump cited are fabricated. But the alarm about Republican electoral vulnerability reflects a genuinely difficult polling environment for the GOP. #Trump #midterms #republicans Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸