Cracks in the Trump Facade Appear

Bombing Iran and Wilderness Sell Offs Erode MAGA Solidarity

More people are catching on to the con man purporting to Make America Great Again.

The president’s supporters are deeply divided over the probability of US intervention in the Iran-Israel war. The military has and is moving assets to striking ranges of the Middle East. The President left the G7 meeting early, using the conflict as the basis for coming back to Washington. Fox News is begging for blood-letting on behalf of Israel. And Senator Ted Cruz, amid proving his allergy to facts in an interview with Tucker Carlson, had to walk back a statement about the US already being involved.

As to the President, you decide which of the following statements matches up with his intentions:

• 'I made America First, I can decide what it means to me.'

• The Iranians have reached out to him. He told them it’s “a little late.”

• "The U.S. had nothing to do with the attack on Iran."

• "I may do it, I may not do it, nobody knows what I'm going to do."

• "We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran...Nobody does it better than the good ol’ USA."

• UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!

In evaluating Trump’s comments, the important thing to remember is that he will do whatever he thinks is best for himself. It’s the most consistent thing about his actions throughout his career.

My guess is that the President is juggling between taking an action making himself look like a strongman and worrying that such an action (bombing Iran) could weaken his position domestically.

Via this morning’s Politico Playbook:

• “The movement right now is away from diplomacy and toward U.S. involvement,” a Trump administration official tells my Playbook colleague Dasha Burns. “We are moving toward taking out Iranian nuclear facilities.” If confirmed, it would mark a seismic moment in Trump’s presidency. The world will be watching closely in the hours ahead.

The consensus position on what will happen if the President decides to get overtly involved, is the bombing of Iran’s sprawling underground network at Fordo, where nuclear bomb-type misdeeds are alleged to be happening.

This is no small thing. US intervention would likely involve USAF B-2 bombers flying stealth missions to drop “bunker buster” bombs. Not only is the US military the sole possession of this mega weapon, it’s the only military with the known capability of delivering it.

These weapons are officially called the US Massive Ordnance Penetrator (“MOP”). , Weighing in at 30,000 pounds, they’re designed to destroy weapons of mass destruction buried in mountains or deep below the earth’s surface.

Over the last few days more than two dozen tanker planes capable of in-flight refueling have left the US and are scattered throughout Europe and the Mediterranean.

The Associated Press reports each B-2 bomber “would have to make the 30-hour round trip from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, refueling multiple times. The suggestion that multiple bombers might be needed dovetails with analysis holding that Iran’s Fordo facility is so far under the surface it would require laying bombs whose destruction would build on previous blasts.

One reason we haven’t heard about the B2 being in the air could be the process of getting the to Iran. CENTCOM must reach out to allies for support. Airspace permission. Air support. Refueling support, and so on.

Here’s the important part: they can say no. Allies (UAE, SA, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, etc.) may be saying no, which is why nothing’s happened.

Getting involved in a Middle East war is the last thing voters want across all political persuasions. It has the potential of undoing the coalition that got Trump elected and needs to get Congressional approval on his agenda.

MAGA diehards Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson see Trump as a true isolationist who believes in his America First rhetoric. GOP NeoCons see the President as a bellicose useful idiot that they can lure into a war with Iran by appealing to his insecurity and vanity.

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There’s another not-so-obvious split on the Republican side, having to do with the provisions in the Big Beautiful Budget Bill requiring the sell-off of federal properties with no hearings, debate, or public input opportunities. Language to this effect was stripped out of the House version of this bill, but has been reinserted in the Senate version.

If there’s one government program beloved by Western conservatives, it’s the preservation of wilderness and wildlife areas of the country. Teddy Roosevelt started it, and, by gum, it’s the best deal going for hunting season. Trust me on this one, this issue is right up there with gun control for right wingers.

The Republican budget reconciliation bill requires the sale of up to 3.3 million acres of publicly owned land, along with an amendment authorizing the sale of 258 million acres more over the next five years.

Properties available for sale include the Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service lands in 11 states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

In California nearly 17 million acres would be on the chopping block.

Although the measure does not currently include national monument lands, the Department of Justice is arguing that the president can revoke national monument protections, meaning another 13.5 million acres would become available for purchase.

Via The New York Times:

• The move would “increase the supply of housing and decrease housing costs for millions of American families,” the fact sheet said.

• Environmental groups denounced the proposal, saying that it threatened lands used for hiking, hunting, fishing and camping.

• “This is a shameless ploy to sell off pristine public lands for trophy homes and gated communities that will do nothing to address the affordable housing shortage in the West,” said Jennifer Rokala, executive director of the Center for Western Priorities, a conservation advocacy group.

The Senate is looking to pass their version of the budget by July 4. The rush to corral votes is on, since it would appear that the more the public hears about the budget, the less they like it. Currently the bill’s “underwater” net favorable rating (percent in favor minus percent not in favor), which sits at -29 points and -26 points in two separate polls.

The ABA Declares War - Trump tried to first “kill all the lawyers.” Now the lawyers have hit back by Jay Kuo at The Status Kuo

• It’s hard to overstate what a consequential, historic and unprecedented move this is. The ABA is a normally quiet, nonpolitical organization. You’d know this if you’ve ever attended and tried to stay awake during its conferences.

• To stir it to action and actually file a lawsuit against a sitting president and his entire administration is something I thought I’d never see. For starters, it risks “politicizing” the ABA, with Trump supporters likely to denounce it as captured by liberal, Democratic forces. The organization absolutely understands the Rubicon it has crossed.

• The circumstances must be dire indeed for this organization to undertake such a move. As the ABA set forth in its suit, and as it stated in accompanying press releases, it has basically been left with no choice.

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FIFA Club World Cup Ticket Sales TANK After DHS Says Agents Will Be At Stadium by Ryan Grenoble at Huffpost

• One man, a 25-year-old bricklayer originally from Monterrey, Mexico, told Reuters he and his friends originally planned to see CF Monterrey face off against Inter Milan on Tuesday. Now he’s not so sure.

• “I’m scared because things have got ugly. But let’s hope that things calm down a bit and let us enjoy the games,” he said. “If things get uglier, we’ll talk about it, after all we have time to decide.”

• Another fan, identified only as Rafael, told Yahoo Sports he and his wife originally planned to see PSG vs. Atlético Madrid at the Rose Bowl. But after Trump’s violent crackdown, they sold their tickets, even though he’s a green card holder and in the country legally.

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Verizon and Amazon cancel support for Juneteenth celebrations by Judd Legum and Noel Sims at Popular Information

• Amazon rolled back its DEI programs in December 2024. An internal letter from an Amazon senior human resources executive stated that the company would eliminate “outdated” policies and programs. This included removing language from the company’s website about Amazon’s support for “Equity for Black people.” Amazon also removed all references to DEI from its 2024 annual report and donated $1,000,000 to Trump's inaugural committee. Amazon did not respond to a request for comment.

• The title sponsor of the Juneteenth Atlanta Parade and Music Festival in 2024 was Cisco. But the company is not listed on the event website this year. Cisco has publicly defended some diversity efforts. But last year, the company folded its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) team into a new division called Social Impact and Inclusion. Cisco did not respond to a request for comment.

• Along with shrinking corporate support, Juneteenth is receiving reduced support from governments that are increasingly hostile to anything associated with diversity. In West Virginia, Governor Patrick Morrisey (R) said his administration will not host any Juneteenth events this year, ending a tradition established by his Republican predecessor. In another break from tradition, Juneteenth will not be a paid holiday for state workers in West Virginia this year. In May, Morrisey signed legislation ending diversity programs, a move he said fulfilled his pledge to "root out DEI and eliminate the woke virus in West Virginia."