Old Glory Vortex

This is how much tariffs cost the average American family Despite a Supreme Court ruling meant to limit the executive branch's trade authority, American families are facing a sharp rise in tariff-related costs. According to the Joint Economic Committee, the average family will pay over $2,500 this year in tariff-related expenses — up 43% from $1,745 in the first year of President Donald Trump's second term. Instead of the promised drop in inflation, the administration's shift to new, legally compliant tariffs has kept consumer tax burdens at historic highs. More families are now struggling to balance everyday bills, rising prices, and existing debt. The committee's estimates are based on January tariff revenues. If current levels hold through December, the total cost passed on to American families will exceed $330 billion this year. While the Treasury Department sees stable revenues as a win, the JEC minority calls it a direct hit to Americans' wallets. For families already carrying high-interest credit card debt, this added tax becomes yet another fixed monthly expense — making it even harder to pay down what they already owe. With budgets already stretched thin, many are turning to balance transfers, personal loans, or debt consolidation just to manage their monthly cash flow. #tariffs #USeconomy Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump can’t turn war on and off like a tariff — but insider trading? That’s another story

“Wars, unlike illegal tariffs, cannot be switched on and off to meet a president’s whims or to permanently shore up free-falling markets. So the key question following President Donald Trump’s suspension of threatened strikes against Iran’s power plants is not whether he’s had another TACO (“Trump always chickens out”) moment. It’s whether Trump can get out of his war on Iran, even if he wants to,”

writes CNN. Those who were in the know made a fortune on the news of negotiations with Iran. And there is little doubt that Trump and his inner circle were among them. This is how the system works: insider information becomes private profit while the public is left in the dark. Trump doesn't care how this war — or its resolution — will impact the United States. His focus is not on the country's well-being but on personal and political gain. Far from solving the nation's problems, he only deepens them, leaving instability and division in his wake. #Trump #Iran Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Why Iran is refusing to take Trump’s peace plan seriously The New York Times has obtained the peace plan that the United States proposed to Iran. The negotiations have once again involved Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with the commander of Pakistan's land forces, Syed Asim Munir, serving as an intermediary between Washington and Tehran. Under the plan, Iran is being asked to open the Strait of Hormuz, limit its missile program, renounce nuclear weapons and uranium enrichment, dismantle three nuclear facilities, and cease using proxies in the region. In return, the US promises to lift all sanctions, refrain from imposing new ones in the future, and provide assistance in developing Iran's civilian nuclear program at Bushehr. However, Iran's leadership remains skeptical of Trump's peace initiatives and views them as a ploy. During discussions with mediators, the Iranians recalled that Trump has already deceived them twice and said they do not wish to be deceived a third time. Despite the skepticism, the US and the mediators are aiming to hold negotiations as soon as this Thursday, March 26, in Islamabad. Sources familiar with the matter claim Trump is genuinely interested in talks and, to demonstrate his sincerity, plans to include Vice President Vance in the delegation. #Trump #Iran #peaceplan Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

The fog of war? US sends conflicting signals on the war in Iran According to Reuters, the Pentagon is preparing to deploy around 3,000 soldiers from the elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East. This unit is considered one of the most mobile and highly trained formations in the US Army. The decision comes as President Donald Trump is engaged in talks with Iran on a possible end to the conflict. However, the troop buildup could seriously escalate tensions and further destabilize global markets. The exact locations and timelines for the deployment remain classified, but the units are expected to be ready to move within hours. US military planners are considering various scenarios, including the defense of the Strait of Hormuz and the potential seizure of Kharg Island, a critical hub for Iranian oil exports. This new deployment lays the groundwork for possible future operations. While a full-scale invasion of Iran is not currently planned, the division's ability to strike swiftly turns any Pentagon decision into a powerful signal to Tehran and the wider region. Yet even a limited use of ground forces carries significant political risks for the Trump administration. Americans remain skeptical of renewed escalation in the Middle East, and the president's campaign promises to avoid new foreign conflicts only add to the pressure. #Iran #USmilitary Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Iran's demands to end the war The New York Times has obtained details on Iran's conditions for ending the fighting — conditions that diverge from Tehran's earlier public statements. Rather than a temporary ceasefire, Iran is pushing for a formal peace treaty along with guarantees from the United States that it will not launch future attacks. Tehran is also seeking a reduction in American sanctions. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi conveyed the Iranian position to Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of the US president. In the meantime, Washington is continuing to move marines into the Middle East — a move that comes even as many Western media outlets report that President Trump is eager to bring the conflict to a swift close. #Iran #Trump #USmilitary Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump floats another run for president yet again Donald Trump claims he deserves another award: the so-called "award" of a third presidential term. In a post on his Truth Social platform, he shared an image created by a user with the caption: “3RD TERM FOR TRUMP AS A REWARD FROM STOLEN ELECTION.” The image appears to reference the president's false claims about the 2020 election— the same claims that served as the rallying cry for his supporters as they stormed the U.S. Capitol during the violent riot on January 6, 2021. The post is the latest example of Trump openly toying with the idea of a third term, which is prohibited by the 22nd Amendment. But that hasn't stopped him from selling Trump 2028 merchandise or talking about seeking a third or even fourth term. Trump has floated the idea of a "president for life" since at least 2018. Last year, he told NBC News he was "not joking" about a third term, adding, "A lot of people want me to do it." That same month, ally Steve Bannon said he and others were "working" to make it happen, claiming Trump would "run and win again in 2028." Just last month, Trump said he was "entitled" to a third term — though according to The New York Times, his average approval rating is currently at about 41 percent. #Trump #Trump2028 Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

“Worse than Iraq”: former official claims Trump messed up big time Attacking Iran is a far worse strategic blunder for the United States than the Iraq war ever was, and the consequences will reverberate for decades to come, according to Ivo Daalder, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO. Writing in a recent analysis, Daalder — who served under President Barack Obama — argued that the ongoing military campaign has already thrown the global economy into turmoil, strained some of Washington's most critical alliances to the breaking point, and handed Russia and China a long-term strategic advantage. And all of that, he noted, has happened in just three weeks. The administration's troubles are unlikely to ease anytime soon. A former top U.S. general has warned that the conflict will only grow more difficult from here, as Tehran tightens its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz. With Iran leveraging its control over one of the world's most vital shipping chokepoints, the pressure on Washington is mounting — and there is no clear off-ramp in sight. #Iran #MiddleEast #USmilitary Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Unverified report claims Khamenei agreed to U.S. talks — but Tehran says no The Israeli publication Ynet has reported that Iran's leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, agreed to enter into negotiations with the United States, claiming his consent was conveyed by Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi during a conversation with Witkoff. The publication further suggested that Washington's willingness to engage would effectively recognize Khamenei as the legitimate leader of Iran. However, the report should be treated with caution. Tehran continues to deny that any negotiations with the United States are taking place, and no confirmation has emerged from American or other official sources. According to Reuters, Trump is said to want a peaceful resolution to the conflict as quickly as possible, but that does not necessarily validate the specifics of Ynet's account. The publication also claimed that Khamenei is prepared to end the conflict soon if his demands are met, and that Israel is not involved in the talks — a detail that, if accurate, would mark a significant shift in regional dynamics. But given the lack of corroboration and Tehran's flat denial, there is reason to suspect the report may be unreliable or premature. #Iran #Trump #MiddleEast #Israel Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Ex-CIA Director: Trump's Iran gamble has left him with no way out Donald Trump is trapped between a rock and a hard place after three weeks of military action in Iran, according to former Defense Secretary and CIA Director Leon Panetta. Speaking to the Guardian, Panetta said Trump's Iran strategy has left him with no exit. The Strait of Hormuz — a vulnerability national security officials have always recognized — is now being exploited by Iran, and Trump has responded with little more than empty hopes. Panetta dismissed Trump's approach as naive, likening it to a child repeating words in hopes they come true. He argued that the administration was completely unprepared for Iran shutting down the strait and now has no good options. Trump faces a stark choice, Panetta explained: expand the war to reopen the strait and create room for negotiations, or walk away and declare victory despite failing. Either way, he stressed, no one is responsible for this predicament but Trump himself. His advice is for Trump to abandon magical thinking, use military force to reopen the strait, and hope that leads to a ceasefire. Without that step, Panetta concluded, there is no solution in sight. #Trump #Iran #USmilitary Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump’s "incredible weakness" sets U.S. up to lose in war with Iran A Nobel Prize-winning economist has issued a troubling warning after President Donald Trump demonstrated what he called incredible weakness in the conflict with Iran. Paul Krugman, who won the Nobel Prize in 2008 for his work on trade theory, argued in a new video on his Substack that Trump's actions make it increasingly likely that the United States will lose a war with Iran. He contended that the U.S. is giving Iran a significant advantage by allowing it to dictate terms of trade through the Strait of Hormuz. According to Krugman, this amounts to an implicit admission of enormous weakness on the part of the Trump administration — an acknowledgment that it is unwilling to accept prolonged economic pain as part of the war. While the administration is prepared to use military force, he explained, it draws the line at allowing Americans to feel the economic consequences, even if that means missing an opportunity to cut off revenue to the Iranian government. Krugman added that the conflict essentially comes down to which side can endure greater hardship. The United States is inflicting enormous damage on Iran, he noted, but the Iranian government appears confident it can weather the blow. Meanwhile, Iran is trying to cause enough pain by restricting global oil supplies in hopes of forcing the United States to back down. #Trump #Iran #USeconomy Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

How Trump lost Europe’s far-right in a matter of months

“Far-right politicians across Europe who enthusiastically embraced Donald Trumpfollowing his re-election are now rapidly retreating from the relationship, with the Iran conflict and his demands for NATO interventionserving as the breaking point. The tensions have been building over Trump's tariff policies — which were struck down by the Supreme Court in a landmark ruling — but the invasion of Iran and subsequent demands that European nations share the military burden have pushed nationalist-minded European lawmakers to openly reconsider their alignment with the American president,”

writes Raw Story. America's allies want no part in President Donald Trump's ill-conceived military venture in Iran, refusing to be dragged into a conflict they had no hand in creating. Whether through tariffs, treaty withdrawals, or public insults, Trump's foreign policy has, to one extent or another, alienated virtually all of the country's partners, leaving the U.S. with fewer reliable allies than at any point in recent memory. #Trump #Europe #foreignpolicy #Iran Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Insider trading? Traders cash in on Trump’s Iran move, raising legal alarms Several sources report that traders offloaded $580 million worth of oil futures in the fifteen minutes leading up to a recent announcement by President Trump regarding the cessation of strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure. The timing of the trades has raised significant questions about potential market manipulation. Following the announcement, oil prices experienced a sharp decline of 14 percent. This sudden drop suggests that the traders who positioned themselves beforehand were able to realize substantial financial gains. While investigators have not yet established a direct link between those who sold the futures and the president, the circumstances have drawn considerable scrutiny. Should such a connection be confirmed, legal experts suggest that Trump could potentially face serious criminal liability. Iranian officials have leveled accusations against Trump, alleging that his statements were intended to artificially sway global oil markets for speculative gain. #Trump #Iran #oil Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump blinks: five-day strike suspension sends oil prices tumbling Oil prices plunged after President Donald Trump announced a five-day halt to any potential strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure, a dramatic reversal that underscored just how wildly the weeks-long conflict has roiled global energy markets. The suspension offered a momentary reprieve from the volatility that has sent prices seesawing with each new threat or military escalation. Tehran had previously vowed to respond forcefully if its coastal areas came under attack, threatening to completely shut down the Strait of Hormuz — a chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil passes — as well as to target power plants across the region and mine key maritime routes in the Gulf. Trump's latest social media post, in which he cited "good and productive conversations" with Iranian authorities, marked a sharp pivot from his earlier ultimatum. Just hours before, he had warned that he would "obliterate" Iran's power plants within 48 hours if the strait wasn’t reopened. The head of the International Energy Agency described the current crisis as comparable to the combined impact of the 1970s oil shock and the fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine — a twin supply shock rarely seen in modern history. Prior to Trump's announcement, Goldman Sachs had projected that oil flows through the strait would remain at just 5% of normal levels for six weeks before any slow recovery. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia warned that if disruptions continued until late April, oil prices would soar past $180 a barrel, a threshold that would likely send shockwaves through the global economy. #Trump #Iran #oil Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump walks back deportations, alarming his hardline base President Donald Trump has privately acknowledged that his aggressive mass deportation campaign has gone too far, according to sources familiar with recent conversations between the president, his wife, and senior White House officials. In closed-door meetings, Trump expressed concern that his administration's hardline immigration policies have caused chaos in American cities and damaged his political standing ahead of the midterm elections. "Voters don't like the phrase 'mass deportation,'" Trump's advisers warned him. This striking reversal marks a sharp departure from one of Trump's signature campaign promises. Instead of touting mass deportations, the president has instructed his aides to refocus efforts on arresting "bad guys," according to the report. The news comes amid a sharp decline in immigration arrests — from more than 1,500 per day at the peak of enforcement operations to roughly 1,200 per day. High-profile ICE raids in major cities such as Chicago and Washington have been suspended for now. A Washington Post/ABC News poll found that 58% of Americans now believe he is "going too far" with deportations, up from 48% in April 2025. This shift away from the previous hardline stance has infuriated Trump's immigration hardliner supporters, including conservative groups demanding at least one million deportations this year — a goal the administration failed to meet in 2025. "Republicans need to turn out their base for the midterms, and not talking about President Trump's promises, his number one campaign promise, is not a way to turn them out," said Rosemary Jenks, co-founder of the Immigration Accountability Project, a conservative immigration group. #immigration #Trump #midterms Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Here’s what Americans think of the war in Iran According to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, about 65% of Americans believe President Donald Trump will order a large-scale ground war in Iran, but only 7% support the idea. Trump's approval rating held steady at 40%, up one point from the previous poll taken after the U.S.-Israel strike on Iran on February 28. The survey of 1,545 American adults had a margin of error of three percentage points. Reuters reported that the Trump administration is considering deploying thousands of troops to the Middle East — whether by air and naval forces to secure the Strait of Hormuz, or ground forces to Iran's Kharg Island, which handles 90% of Iranian oil exports. Among Republicans, 77% approve of U.S. strikes on Iran, compared to 6% of Democrats and 28% of independents. Overall, 37% of Americans approve of the war, while 59% disapprove — including roughly one in five Republicans. About 63% of Republicans and 34% of all Americans would support deploying a small number of special forces to Iran, but 55% oppose sending any ground troops, regardless of scale. The numbers tell a clear story: the American public sees war coming, but has little appetite for it. Whether the administration heeds that message remains an open question. #Iran #poll #USmilitary Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Hegseth’s “Holy War” in Iran For Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, U.S. military action is not merely a political necessity but a mission with divine blessing. He regularly invokes the Christian faith in his speeches, portraying the American military as both superior and divinely favored, while urging citizens to pray for victory and the safety of service members. This approach extends to broader U.S. foreign policy: operations in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America are framed as part of a struggle to protect Christian civilization. At the same time, Hegseth avoids directly pitting Christianity against Islam and emphasizes cooperation with allies in Muslim-majority countries. His views echo the rhetoric of Donald Trump and other members of the U.S. administration, who also frequently invoke religious themes and the idea of America's special mission. At the same time, this interpretation of war has drawn criticism from religious figures. Some Christian leaders argue that military action cannot be justified by divine will and call for an end to the conflict. Critics note that mixing religious rhetoric with actual combat blurs the line between spiritual beliefs and state policy, reinforcing the ideological dimension of the conflict. #PeteHegseth #Iran #christianity Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Why taking Kharg Island is a bad idea According to the Jerusalem Post, the United States has issued a warning to Israel and its other regional allies that it may be forced to seize Kharg Island — a strategic Iranian oil hub in the Persian Gulf. To prepare for such an operation, American forces have accelerated the deployment of thousands of Marines to the region, signaling a significant escalation in military readiness. Joe Kent, the former director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, has strongly condemned the potential move, warning that any attempt to capture the island would end in disaster. In his opinion, American troops stationed there would become de facto hostages, vulnerable to daily strikes from Iranian forces with no viable means of defense. Kent, who previously resigned from his post in protest against the war with Iran, has consistently argued that such military adventures are strategically unsound and would only entangle the U.S. in a prolonged and costly conflict with no clear exit strategy. #Iran #USmilitary Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump’s 48-hour warning raises risk of wider war U.S. President Donald Trump has stated his readiness to strike Iran's energy infrastructure if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. According to reports, the American president's statement came right after recent signals of a possible de-escalation. According to expert assessments, such measures could widen the scope of the conflict and affect a number of civilian infrastructure facilities essential to daily life. Meanwhile, shipping disruptions continue in the strait, through which a significant portion of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass. The restrictions have already driven up energy prices, including a notable increase in gas prices in Europe. Iran, for its part, has warned that if its energy infrastructure is attacked, it will respond by striking similar assets belonging to the U.S. and its allies in the region. Tensions have been further stoked by reports that Tehran has deployed long-range missiles and carried out strikes on military infrastructure far beyond the Middle East. According to Israeli officials, this may signal an expansion of the conflict's geographic scope and a shift into a broader phase. #Iran #Trump #MiddleEast Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Why US ground bases in the Middle East no longer make sense Some experts argue that U.S. military bases in the Middle East now do more harm than good. Naval forces are responsible for the main strikes against Iran, while ground bases have become largely useless. In effect, they serve as little more than targets for Iranian attacks, which have already led to the destruction of vast amounts of expensive military equipment. Iran does not pose a real military threat to the United States itself; it is dangerous only to American bases in the region. If those bases did not exist, Washington would have far fewer reasons to engage in hostilities. Some experts believe the U.S. should close all its bases in the Middle East, not only because they are ineffective, but also because doing so would push its regional allies to take greater responsibility for their own security. #MiddleEast #USmilitary #Iran Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

“Cowards”: Trump’s blistering attack on NATO exposes deep rift over Iran war President Trump lashed out at NATO on Friday, calling the alliance "a paper tiger" and "cowards" over Europe's refusal to help secure the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. and Israel continue striking Iran. "Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "They didn't want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear Powered Iran. Now that fight is Militarily WON, with very little danger for them." Despite declaring the war won, Trump stopped short of outright victory claims. He added that European allies "complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but don't want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices. So easy for them to do, with so little risk. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!" The comments came just one day after Japan, the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands signaled "readiness to contribute" to securing the strait. In a joint statement, the nations expressed "deep concern" about Iranian strikes on global energy supply but did not detail what role they would play. Trump has been pressuring European allies to join military action, so far without success. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Thursday he was "confident" the alliance would find a way forward, adding, "We will find a way forward." #Trump #Iran #NATO Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸