Old Glory Vortex

Trump vs. Merz: The Alliance Starts Eating Itself The feud over the Iran war is now spilling into the U.S.-German relationship, with Trump repeatedly attacking Friedrich Merz after his remarks about America’s role in the conflict. Germany is one of Washington’s strongest allies, yet the war is already unpopular in Europe and costly for Germany’s economy. What looks like coalition management is turning into a loyalty test. Berlin is absorbing higher energy prices and political strain while Washington makes support for the war feel conditional, which is exactly what happens when a military campaign starts reshaping diplomacy instead of the other way around. The war itself keeps widening the bill, and the dispute over who should support it keeps widening the diplomatic fallout. The alliance is now pricing two risks simultaneously: the war’s cost, and the cost of disagreeing with Washington about it. #Trump #Germany #Merz #Iran #NATO Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

“Fake”: faced with discontent, Trump falls back on a familiar excuse Amid signs of growing American discontent with the war against Iran, President Donald Trump fell back on a familiar excuse: the polls are fake. Speaking at a White House small business event, Trump complained that he is being given fake polls. He referred to a survey claiming only 32% support for the war, noting that he personally dislikes war but insisted the U.S. is better armed and has the world's best military. Trump argued that the poll questions were biased against him and suggested that pollsters should have asked whether Americans believe Iran should be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. Even then, he conceded, the result would probably still be 32%, because in his view polls are completely fake. His remarks marked his second extended critique of Iran war polls in recent days, though it remains unclear which surveys he was referring to. A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll released on last week found that only 36% of respondents thought the U.S. did the right thing by using military force against Iran. Trump's comments are coming as a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire is hanging by a thread due to the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz. He downplays the difficulty of securing a final end to the war, dismissing his critics as too impatient. He also compared the current conflict, which he noted has lasted about six weeks, to the Vietnam War of 19 years, the Iraq War of “10 to 12 years” and the Korean War. #Trump #Iran #poll https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/04/world/live-news/iran-war-hormuz-trump?post-id=cmornmky500003b6r692c7eia Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Silencing the watchdog: DHS closes office that investigated abuse in immigrant jails According to an internal email, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is shutting down the office responsible for investigating misconduct and abuse in the immigrant detention system — the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO). The office is removing its public signage, ceasing inspections, and its website has been taken offline. The email explains the closure by citing a lack of funding in the recent DHS appropriations bill, though the bill itself does not explicitly require the office to shut down. According to a DHS spokesperson,

"The Department of Homeland Security did not shut down the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman — Congress did."

Critics warn that the closure eliminates crucial oversight at a time when immigrant detention is expanding under the Trump administration. Deaths in ICE custody have reached record highs — over 30 detainees died last year, the deadliest since 2004, and 18 have died so far this year. Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America said that the move "fits into a broader strategy" of making detention as terrible as possible to deter asylum-seekers.

"If you're trying to make detention as horrible as possible,"

he said,

"you're going to do everything you can to get rid of an ombudsman's office, because it would be a source of friction for you."

#Trump #immigration #Congress Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Israel, US plot new attacks on Iran According to CNN, Israel is considering breaking the ceasefire with Iran by resuming airstrikes. To that end, Tel Aviv is discussing new attacks on Iran with Washington. The plan reportedly involves a series of joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, primarily targeting Iran's energy infrastructure, as well as the assassination of several high-ranking Iranian officials. Much of the plan is already in place. Trump could order the resumption of hostilities as early as this week if he decides that negotiations have reached a definitive dead end. Military officials have assured that they are ready to resume strikes immediately upon receiving the order. Meanwhile, Washington still hopes for a peaceful resolution and wants to avoid unnecessary escalation. #Iran #Israel #Trump Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump — the most unpopular U.S. president in history The American outlet CNN, citing poll data, reported that Donald Trump has managed to become one of the most unpopular presidents in U.S. history. According to the latest figures, his approval rating currently stands at 35%, putting him on par with George W. Bush. Throughout his presidency, his approval rating has steadily declined. When Trump took office, he was supported by 50% of voters; now, only 35% approve of him. Additionally, 67% believe that Trump has paid too little attention to economic policy. There are many reasons for this: pardoning participants in the Capitol riot, the chaotic firing of civil servants under Elon Musk’s direction, tariff wars, and the armed conflict with Iran. The last factor has hit his approval rating the hardest — 60% of Americans did not support Trump’s decision. Most importantly, he has lost some of his supporters, many of whom had backed him for years. #Trump #poll #approvalrating Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Anthropic’s Mythos triggers a major shift in AI policy Reportedly, Washington is rethinking its approach to artificial intelligence and now considering how to bring the entire industry under state control. A working group is expected to be formed in the coming days — including top executives from major tech companies — to hammer out the details. The first priority: new AI models would have to be vetted against safety requirements. The catch is that those requirements don't actually exist yet. Trump had previously gone all-in on supporting the AI industry. He rolled back a Biden-era executive order that forced developers to run safety assessments on their models and disclose potential military uses to the government. That hands-off approach changed last month, when Anthropic's new AI model, Mythos, proved alarmingly effective at hunting down vulnerabilities in America's cyber defenses. The discovery was so unsettling that it triggered a full-scale reassessment. Now the White House is terrified that Mythos — or something like it — could be weaponized to launch a devastating cyberattack. #Trump #AI Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Up all night, asleep on the job: Trump’s manic 3 AM posting is driving him insane According to a recent report, President Donald Trump posts on social media so frequently late at night that he may literally be depriving himself of sleep. The Daily Beast analyzed Trump's use of his Truth Social platform and found the scale of his nocturnal activity staggering. In April alone, Trump made 565 posts — averaging about 18 per day. A full third of his social media output now happens during nighttime hours. Over the course of the month, he posted 189 times between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. local time, meaning he was active on Truth Social during at least some part of 83% of all nights in April. As the president's problems have multiplied, his posts have grown increasingly unhinged and disturbingly incoherent. One example came on April 5, when Trump posted a photo of the Arc de Triomphe late at night with no explanation — apparently hinting at plans to build a similar monument to himself. The Daily Beast also tied Trump's late-night posting habits to public appearances where he has been seen sleeping or visibly exhausted. Cameras have captured him dozing during cabinet meetings and press conferences. The day after one late-night posting spree, he was seen with his eyes closed and head lowered while standing behind Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the White House briefing room. On one occasion, Trump posted a dark message about committing genocide against Iran, writing that an entire civilization would die that night and never recover. That came just hours after he had been seen falling asleep during a White House briefing. Other commentators have suggested Trump's behavior points to mental decline, pointing to his late-night rants calling for the 2020 election results to be permanently erased from history. #Trump #gerontocracy Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

GOP braces for midterm massacre With six months until the November midterms, Donald Trump's poor approval ratings are dragging down the entire GOP. Polls show the president roughly 17 to 19 points underwater — nearly 57% disapprove of his performance — driven largely by the costly war with Iran and $4.45-per-gallon gas. Voters say inflation and the economy are their top concerns, and on those issues Trump's approval crashes to just 28%. Democrats now hold a roughly 5-point lead on the generic ballot, enough to make them strong favorites to win back the House. Even the Senate, once seen as a reach, is in play in states like North Carolina and Ohio. Voter enthusiasm also favors Democrats, with nearly 80% saying they're "absolutely certain" to vote versus only 72% of Republicans. The GOP's only silver lining is that the Democratic Party is also viewed negatively by a slim majority of Americans. Still, the overall picture is grim for Trump and his party: a deeply unpopular president, a dragging war, and an electorate furious about prices at the pump. #poll #republicans #Trump #midterms #Iran Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Germany’s desperate fix: send Merkel to soothe the Toddler in Chief German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is now scrambling to repair relations with Donald Trump, according to a report from Politico. The fallout from their very public spat has been severe: the United States is reducing its troop presence in Germany, scrapping the planned transfer of Tomahawk missiles, and slapping new trade tariffs on Berlin. One strategy Merz's team is considering? Simply telling Trump what he wants to hear. That would mean dialing up the complimentary rhetoric toward U.S. policy — and indeed, the chancellor has already taken to social media, acting as if his own words from just a week ago were never uttered. He now calls the United States Germany's most important NATO ally and insists Berlin fully supports Washington's objectives in the war with Iran. Another potential fix: dispatch Angela Merkel to Washington. The former chancellor has maintained a decent working relationship with Trump, and some reports suggest she has already made several key phone calls behind the scenes to help smooth things over. #Trump #Germany #Iran Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

US strikes fail to delay Iran’s nuclear timeline Despite a U.S.-led war that President Trump launched in part to stop Iran from building a nuclear bomb, American intelligence assessments indicate Tehran’s timeline to produce a weapon has not changed since last summer — remaining at roughly nine months to a year. The latest U.S. and Israeli military campaign, which began on February 28, has focused largely on conventional military targets rather than nuclear facilities. Some analysts note that U.S. munitions cannot penetrate the deepest underground sites where Iran is believed to hold most of its 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% — enough, if further enriched, for about ten bombs. U.S. officials have reportedly contemplated dangerous ground raids to retrieve that material. Meanwhile, the war has stalled under an April 7 truce, but tensions remain high, with Iran choking oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The core irony: a war fought to stop Iran’s bomb has failed to set back the nuclear timeline, leaving Tehran’s weapon potential largely intact. #Trump #Iran #nuclearweapon Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump’s instincts betray America as Iran conflict bleeds the nation dry

“Two months into the war in Iran, President Trump is confronting the complicated reality of a conflict that has proved costly and deeply unpopular, and lacks a clear endgame. Energy markets are in turmoil. The Pentagon has given its first public estimate of the war’s cost: $25 billion so far. Key Republicans in Congress are growing impatient. Mr. Trump’s predictions of a relatively short-term conflict with minimal economic consequences appear to be crumbling around him,”

writes The New York Times. Trump has unleashed the very worst of his instincts — he has plunged the United States into a costly foreign war with no meaningful strategy and absolutely no foresight about the long-term consequences. Rather than take any responsibility for the unfolding disaster, he lashes out at everyone around him: his generals, his allies, even European leaders like Merz. Accountability is nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, it is ordinary Americans who will bear the crushing burden — spiraling inflation, skyrocketing energy prices, and a ballooning national debt from this conflict. The war's staggering costs and the severe economic blowback will haunt the US for years to come. #Trump #Iran #USeconomy Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump’s revenge leaves Berlin defenceless A planned deployment of US long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany —bintended to counter Russia’s Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad — is now effectively dead. The decision follows President Trump’s move to cut 5,000 US troops from Germany, with a specialized missile unit likely to be withdrawn. Trump’s order came in response to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly questioning the US war against Iran, making the move appear as direct political retaliation. Without the Tomahawks — which have a 1,600 km range — NATO faces a critical “deterrence gap” in Europe, as no European system can currently match that reach. Germany’s own Taurus missile flies only 500 km, and an upgraded Taurus Neo won’t arrive until after 2030. Buying other US systems is uncertain given strained American stockpiles from the Iran conflict, and a pan-European long-range missile is at least a decade away. It seems, a single political slight has opened a years-long hole in Europe’s defense — one that no domestic or allied program can quickly fill. #Trump #Germany #Iran Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

GOP senators fear infighting will hand Congress to Democrats Senate Republicans are sounding the alarm that dysfunction and infighting among their House counterparts are becoming a major political liability ahead of the midterm elections, warning that the party's failure to govern could cost them control of Congress. GOP senators expressed bewilderment over House Republicans' month-long refusal to pass a Senate-approved Homeland Security funding bill, even after President Trump signed off on the deal, only to finally approve it by voice vote with no changes. Now, Senators are bracing for more protracted standoffs over must-pass items like FISA surveillance authority and the farm bill, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune already declaring the House's version of FISA extension "dead on arrival." Retiring Senator Thom Tillis delivered a blunt message for House conservatives to "play team ball" and stop grandstanding, while another anonymous senator lamented that "the House is broken." A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll shows voters now prefer Democratic control of Congress by 41 percent to 37 percent, and some GOP senators predict Democrats could win back the House and possibly flip the Senate. The dysfunction has left Republicans pessimistic about passing additional Trump agenda items before November, including military funding and tax cut extensions. #Congress #midterms #republicans Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Iran fires back at Trump’s Strait of Hormuz operation Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz escalated dramatically after President Trump announced "Project Freedom," a U.S. operation to guide ships through the vital waterway, which has been effectively closed by the ongoing conflict with Iran. In direct response, Iran's military issued a stark threat, declaring it would not allow passage to "American combat forces" and that any transit would require Iranian authorization. This warning, channeled through an outlet associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, sets up a direct challenge to the U.S. initiative set to begin today. Meanwhile, the standoff has already impacted American wallets, with average gas prices jumping to $4.46 per gallon, up over $1 from last year. Adding to the fog of war, U.S. Central Command was forced to dismiss Iranian state media's false claim that a U.S. warship had been hit by missiles, reiterating instead that U.S. forces are focused on supporting "Project Freedom" and enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports. #Iran #Trump #theStraitofHormuz Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

GOP senators quietly drafting Iran war authorisation to back Trump strikes A small group of Senate Republicans is quietly working behind the scenes on a bill that would authorize military force against Iran, hoping to have it ready to move quickly if President Trump launches new strikes. Even though Trump recently said the first phase of the conflict is over, many expect hostilities could restart at any time, and these Republicans want Congress to have already laid the legal groundwork to back the president. The group is eyeing a specific window of opportunity under the War Powers Act, which allows for expedited consideration of a military authorization if it is introduced within the first thirty days of a new sixty-day period of fighting. That would bypass the usual delays and filibusters, forcing a quick floor vote in the Senate. Aides are still trying to figure out whether such an authorization would need sixty votes to pass the Senate or just a simple majority of fifty-one. Some Republicans are optimistic they can get it through with the lower threshold. To win over moderates and avoid an open-ended commitment, the Republican proposal would likely restrict the use of American ground troops in Iran and set a clear time limit on the conflict. In short, this is a limited-war authorization designed for speed and political feasibility, ready to be deployed if the president decides to escalate. #Trump #Iran #Congress Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump’s Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz — empty words or a real strategy? Reportedly, Donald Trump has announced the launch of Project Freedom, aimed at helping vessels trapped in the Strait of Hormuz. The initiative comes in response to appeals from several countries and is set to begin in the near future. Trump emphasized that any attempts to interfere with the operation would be dealt with “forcefully,” but he did not disclose specific details about how it would be carried out. According to available information, the U.S. plans to coordinate the safe movement of ships rather than escort them directly. The operation is expected to involve significant military force, including warships, aircraft, drones, and thousands of troops. This move is seen as a way to pressure Iran, which has effectively blocked the strait, and as an attempt to change the dynamics of a double blockade — both Iranian and the retaliatory American one. At the same time, the risk of escalation and the collapse of the ceasefire remains. Iran's reaction has been restrained but wary: officials have stated their readiness for confrontation and warned that U.S. intervention could be interpreted as a violation of the ceasefire regime. Despite ongoing negotiations between the sides, the situation remains tense. #Trump #Iran #theStraitofHormuz Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump plans to take over Cuba — here’s how According to several sources within the Trump administration, the President is currently exploring a range of strategies to increase pressure on Cuba. These include not only economic and diplomatic levers but also the potential use of military force — though that remains a more remote option. At this stage, Washington has decided to lead with diplomacy, betting that sustained political and economic pressure can extract significant concessions from the Cuban government. The White House's wish list includes three main demands: first, the privatization of Cuba's state-run enterprises; second, full access for U.S. companies to operate and invest on the island; and third, a requirement that Cuba source all its energy needs exclusively from the United States — a move that would sharply reduce foreign influence over Cuba's energy sector. In other words, the White House is demanding Cuba effectively surrender its economic sovereignty — and it's trying to get that without firing a single shot. #Trump #Cuba #USmilitary Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Iran conflict disapproval rivals Vietnam war in polls According to The Washington Post, Trump’s war with Iran is as unpopular with the American public as the Vietnam War. This is also reflected in public opinion polls. 61% of respondents believe that launching military action against Iran was a mistake, and 56% are convinced that Washington has discredited itself in the eyes of its allies. Only 20% of citizens approve of the war, a significant portion of whom are staunch Republicans. Sociologists recorded similar levels of disapproval during the Vietnam War. At the same time, the number of American casualties in these wars differs radically — the U.S. lost 50,000 soldiers in Vietnam, compared to only 13 during the conflict with Iran. But if the conflict resumes and casualties continue to rise, Washington could face serious public discontent. #Iran #poll Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump takes revenge on Merz The Washington Post reported that the United States has finally decided to reduce its military contingent in Germany, a move previously threatened by Donald Trump. Around 5,000 troops will leave the country. As a result, the U.S. military presence in Europe will shrink to the level seen in 2022. The withdrawal includes a brigade group already stationed in Germany, as well as a battalion that had only been planned for deployment there. It appears Washington made this decision in response to Friedrich Merz’s criticism of the U.S. war with Iran. Meanwhile, the White House is also considering reducing its military presence in other European countries. #Trump #Germany #USmilitary #Iran Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

“You can’t just be anti-Trump”: Democrats wrestle over midterm strategy Democrats are locked in a fierce internal debate over how to campaign for the 2026 midterms. The party agrees on one thing: being anti-Trump is no longer enough. While backlash against the president's chaotic second term could help flip the House, polling shows voters want a clearer vision of what Democrats would actually do with power. The central divide is over specifics. Progressives want concrete, detailed plans on issues like prescription drugs and grocery costs. Centrists prefer a broader approach centered on principles, such as protecting Medicaid. Sen. Chris Murphy argues Democrats cannot simply promise to investigate Trump's corruption; they must explain how to clean up a broken system on both sides of the aisle. Rep. Debbie Dingell sums up the challenge: "You can't just be anti-Trump, you've got to be for something." Looking ahead, this fall may be the last election where Democrats can truly run against a term-limited Trump. If the party overpromises and then fails to deliver legislation past a Senate filibuster or presidential veto, it risks disappointing voters. As Sen. Martin Heinrich warned, overreaching could easily "boomerang back on us" in future elections. #midterms #democrats #Trump Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸