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Nov 2, 2026 - World

A strange brag President Donald Trump let out during his rally in Iowa on Sunday immediately blew up in his face. Trump traveled to Dubuque, Iowa, to rally for Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) as she seeks higher office in the Senate against Democratic challenger Josh Turek. During his speech, Trump made an unsettling claim about his ability to "win" wars, and how he would have handled some of the biggest conflicts in U.S. history. "I could have won Vietnam in a week," Trump said. "They dropped whatever the hell that crap is that hit the forest: Agent Orange! Instead of going after Ho Chi Minh and the other cities."Trump also claimed he could have solved the war in Afghanistan in a "week" as well. The president's comments didn't land well with several political analysts. Gregory Brew, an Iranian oil analyst for the Eurasia Group, argued that Trump's comment was a "curious" one to make. "Throughout the entirety of Trump's first term, the U.S. was at war in Afghanistan. Not only did he not win it, but his administration negotiated the deal that made the events of 2021 essentially unavoidable. This is a curious boast to make," he posted on X. Jonah Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Dispatch, said that Trump had an opportunity to prove his boast true during his first term, but failed to do so. "He could have 'won' Afghanistan during his first term. But he spent most of it trying to get out," Goldberg posted on X. Alex Cole, a liberal news creator, highlighted a glaring irony in Trump's comments. "Draft dodger Trump couldn't defeat algae in a swimming pool, but he was going to conquer the jungles of Vietnam in a week," Cole wrote in a post on X. Alex Ward, a national security reporter for The Wall Street Journal, posted on X that Trump's deal with the Taliban during his first term set the stage for a disastrous end to another war Trump claims he would have better solved. "Trump oversaw four years of the war in Afghanistan, and made a deal with the Taliban—cutting out the Afghan government—that set the table for Biden’s disastrous withdrawal," Ward posted. Trump: I would’ve won The Vietnam War in a week. I would’ve won the war in Afghanistan. https://t.co/eaWK6o2pnb— Acyn (@Acyn) November 1, 2026

Nov 1, 2026 - World

One of President Donald Trump's right-wing allies hounded him to restart the war in Iran during a "direct and pointed" call on Saturday, according to a new report. Two sources familiar with the call told Israeli outlet N12 that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed Trump to restart the war instead of letting negotiations play out. "According to the sources, Netanyahu is pressuring Trump to resume the war against Iran immediately after the midterm elections on November 3, and he is concerned about the negotiations currently underway," the report reads in part. "Trump, on the other hand, is interested at this stage in letting the negotiations exhaust themselves and does not want Israel to interfere. If he fails, of course, this could change significantly." Reports have indicated that Netanyahu and Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Bin Salman had pushed Trump to launch the war against Iran in the first place. The war has significantly affected the global economy, sending diesel prices skyrocketing because of the attacks on ships attempting passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Nov 1, 2026 - World

Led by Congress party, India’s opposition alliance channels anger over removal of 130 million names from voter rollThousands of opposition supporters have gathered in Delhi as protests against the Narendra Modi government continue to gather momentum.Led by the Congress party, India’s opposition alliance has brought together supporters from across the country, amid growing anger over a large-scale revision of the country’s voter roll that has seen 130 million names erased. Continue reading...

Nov 1, 2026 - World

A U.S. official warned that President Donald Trump may authorize a major military operation against Iran if he “feels embarrassed or disenfranchised” after the midterms, sparking panic among countless onlookers.“The mad King theory just might be the right theory. But so sad for our country,” wrote Yale University professor Howard Forman, referencing a political theory that suggests a political figure being perceived as mad can help boost credibility.The initial warning was reported by Axios’ Barak Ravid, who claimed that the unnamed U.S. official warned that Trump “might be more inclined to order a major military operation if Republicans lose badly in the midterms.”“If he feels embarrassed or disenfranchised he will do something bold,” the U.S. official said, according to Ravid. “That’s what everyone are telling the Iranians. Their best shot to get a deal is right now.”Iran was sent a draft peace plan on Sunday by Qatari mediators, Reuters reported, as talks between Washington and Tehran continue. A senior Iranian official, however, has already “dismissed the proposals as unacceptable,” according to Reuters.With the midterms fast approaching on Tuesday, and with Republicans facing an increasingly dire midterm outlook, critics feared a deadly escalation could be imminent.“A slightly different/more accurate way to phrase this is Trump requires a kind of executive self-soothing,” wrote journalist Josh Marshall, editor-in-chief of Talking Points Memo. “His loss of power/popularity at home requires him to focus on areas of presidency where his power is essentially unlimited to try to reassert a sense of dominance.”Others, like Tommy Vietor, a former Obama administration official and Democratic political commentator, argued that the U.S. official’s warning was nothing more than an attempt to manipulate Tehran into accepting the Trump administration’s terms for ending the deeply unpopular conflict.“Give me a f------ break with this spin. You don’t need to regurgitate this bull----,” Vietor wrote in a social media post on X.Trump official says Trump might bomb Iran because his feelings are hurt.— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) October 31, 2026

Nov 1, 2026 - World

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) warned this week that the Trump administration plans to resume its war on Iran after the midterms — an “insane” scheme he said he learned of in confidential briefings. By Saturday night, he was still the only lawmaker to speak out about those briefings, leaving one independent journalist furious.“In one of these briefings, we did get the chance to have a fairly detailed conversation about what the war plan would be if we restarted military operations,” Murphy said, speaking at the Middle East Institute. “You’ve heard a preview that it would be a short-duration plan. I will just say this: their plan is insane. It will lead to devastating escalation and the likely destruction of our commitment to the rule of law. The plan that they have developed will lead, in my view, to a prolongment and escalation of this war that will be devastating for our security interest.”As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and ranking member of the Department of Defense Subcommittee, Murphy is often briefed on matters related to U.S. military operations and foreign policy. As noted by Murphy, however, he was not the only member of Congress to have been briefed on the Trump administration’s post-midterm plans for Iran.“How has literally no other member of Congress mentioned this briefing???” independent journalist Ken Klippenstein wrote in frustration Saturday evening, later calling the lack of interest in the briefings from other members of Congress “just pathetic.”Murphy’s warning came after reports that the U.S. told Gulf nations to prepare for a short-lived, high-intensity campaign after the Nov. 3 election. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump was weighing strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites and civilian infrastructure. Trump has said he won’t launch any attacks on Iran until after the election.How has literally no other member of Congress mentioned this briefing ???— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) October 31, 2026