Lead us not away from temptation;
but deliver us to evil.
For thine is the spray tan,
the dour and the hoary,
Until the midterms.
Amen.

The Democrats are doing everything possible to hurt the very strong position we are in with respect to Iran. Despite World War I lasting 4 years, 3 months, and 14 days, World War II lasting 6 years and 1 day, the Korean War lasting 3 years, 1 month, and 2 days, the Vietnam War lasting 19 years, 5 months, and 29 days, and Iraq lasting 8 years, 8 months, and 28 days, they like to say that I promised 6 weeks to defeat Iran, and actually, from the Military standpoint, it was far faster than that, but I’m not going to let them rush the United States into making a Deal that is not as good as it could have been. I read the Fake News saying that I am under “pressure” to make a Deal. THIS IS NOT TRUE! I am under no pressure whatsoever, although, it will all happen, relatively quickly! Time is not my adversary, the only thing that matters is that we finally, after 47 years, straighten out the MESS that other Presidents let happen because they didn’t have the Courage or Foresight to do what had to be done with respect to Iran. We’re in it, and it will be done RIGHT, and we won’t let the Weak and Pathetic Democrats, TRAITORS ALL, who for years have been talking about the Dangers of Iran, and that something has to be done, but now, since I’m the one doing it, belittle the accomplishments of our Military and the Trump Administration. This is being perfectly executed, on the scale of Venezuela, just a bigger, more complex operation. The result will be the same. In my First Term, I built the Greatest Military our Country has ever seen, including adding Space Force. In my Second Term, I am properly and judiciously using our Military to solve problems left to us by others of far less understanding or competence. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP

Trump compares his war in Iran to World War 2 and calls Democrats traitors: 'We won’t let the Weak and Pathetic Democrats, TRAITORS ALL, belittle the accomplishments of our Military and the Trump Administration."

May 1st is a day of proactive, non-violent refusal to participate in economic activity. I’ll be speaking with the co-founder of @indivisible.org @ezralevin.bsky.social LIVE in an hour. Join us! Muellershewrote.com

Distrust, dishonesty and Trump's elusive Iran deal "He doesn't want to fight anymore. But he will if he feels he has to."

Trump wants the war to end, now, on his terms.

But there's only 1 day left before the ceasefire expires, Iran still controls Hormuz, and the sides have been unable to even set a meeting.

The war may therefore be on the precipice of a massive expansion.

CNN put together a montage of Trump saying as far back as March 9 that his war against Iran "is going to be finished pretty quickly," then him saying that same thing over and over for the past six weeks

Screenshot of a tweet by Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) showing an ABC This Week exchange where Jonathan Karl presses National Security Advisor Mike Waltz on whether destroying every bridge and power plant in Iran would constitute a war crime, with Waltz responding it "would be an escalatory ladder." The embedded video shows Karl from behind facing Waltz on a split screen, with a chyron reading "Iran Ceasefire Set to Expire on Wednesday."

That would be an escalatory war crime.

"If [Trump] can't be impeached and removed—I mean he is literally the nightmare that the framers of the Constitution had in mind—If members of Congress can't carry out that obligation, then what's the point to Article I? What's the point to the whole Constitution? We might as well just give up."

Trump's energy boss: gas may stay above $3-per-gallon into 2027 Wright argued Trump has successfully managed the energy disruption.

U.S. average gasoline prices may not return to pre-war levels under $3-per-gallon until next year, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said today.

Oil prices jump after Strait of Hormuz setbacks The latest increase reverses a large chunk of Friday's sharp decline.

Oil prices are up around 6% Sunday evening after the weekend brought fresh escalation of the U.S.-Iran conflict.

KARL: Is Trump really prepared to go back to full-on war? Is he prepared to destroy every power plant & bridge?

WALTZ: Well, all options are on the table, absolutely. That's not a war crime

K: He's saying every bridge in the country. That's not a war crime?

W: That would be an escalatory ladder

Khanna: "You have the pope lecturing America about possible war crimes. You have the president threatening to destroy all power plants. What have we achieved? We've created devastation."

Sunday thought: A change in the air The noxious realities of Trump's authoritarianism are revealed for all to see

I hesitate to say we’ve reached a turning point in this horrific time. But something profound seems to be changing. Let me explain. robertreich.substack.com/p/sunday-thought-a-chang...

The DOJ Is Normalizing Vigilantism Officials at the DOJ delivered a politically convenient one-two punch to the work of their predecessors this week.

Here is a gift link to my op ed in @opinion.bloomberg.com about DOJ’s false narrative of prosecutions of FACE Act and seditious conspiracy. Trump admin is rewriting history and normalizing vigilante violence.
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...

Trump’s Erratic Behavior and Extreme Comments Revive Mental Health Debate

Normal stuff here, very normal:

"As the president threatens to wipe out Iran and attacks the pope, even some former allies and advisers are questioning whether he has grown increasingly unbalanced, describing him as 'lunatic' and 'clearly insane'..."

www.nytimes.com/2026/04/13/u...

Swalwell suspends campaign for Calif. governor amid growing rancor over sexual misconduct claims Several Democratic and Republican lawmakers said they would be in favor of voting to expel Swalwell, as well as Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), who both face misconduct allegations.

Swalwell out of the Gov race: “To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past." He continues to deny allegations of sexual assault but says “that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.” www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Earthquake in Hungary: Orbán defeated after 16 years in power It's a stunning rebuke to one of the Western world's most entrenched populist leaders.

BREAKING: Orbán defeated in Hungary after 16 years in power

Last week I wrote about the Justice Department’s effort to declare the Presidential Records Act unconstitutional. The head of the National Archives administers be Act. This is a must read thread about Trump‘s nominee for the job.

Ah yes, the "America 1st" policy he campaigned on...NOT!

On Sunday, Hungary will hold parliamentary elections. These elections loom large the world over. Viktor Orbán is a central figure in the international far right and his loss would be blow to familiar figures like JD Vance and Donald Trump, who are his pupils.
snyder.substack.com/p/the-hungar...

Folks….

Trump imposes naval blockade on Iran after peace talks collapse The U.S. will stop ships that paid Iran's toll.

JUST IN: Trump imposes naval blockade on Iran after peace talks collapse

Why the Cassidy Hutchinson Investigation Should Make Us Very Uncomfortable I don’t know Cassidy Hutchinson, the former deputy to Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who flipped and became a star witness during the January 6 Committee hearings and who is now reportedly under investigation. I don’t have an independent basis for knowing whether she was completely truthful when she testified. Certainly, then-Congresswoman Liz Cheney and committee staff thought she was on the up and up, or they wouldn’t have offered her testimony.

It bears saying: We need to be skeptics when DOJ lets word get out that it’s conducting a criminal investigation, especially when the suspect is on Trump’s list of enemies.
open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...

Incredibly important that this happen. National security isn’t sports betting.

"This pattern raises serious concerns that certain market participants may have had access to material nonpublic information regarding a market-moving geopolitical event..."

www.npr.org/2026/04/10/n...

Killing History DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) declares the Presidential Records Act unconstitutional

Some people are treating this like it’s a close legal question. It isn’t. The precedent here is unusually clear—and that will matter in court.
open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...

Trump posts all caps tantrum following meeting with Rutte

“NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN. REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!! President DJT”

The Senate has an opportunity to educate the public about just how disastrous Pam Bondi and her DOJ have been for the rule of law.

Donald Trump just posted a video of Somali people enjoying the Mall of America to the soundtrack of “Mad World” because he is a bigoted POS

No one seems to notice the “Praise be to Allah,” part, which Trump would say was a jest, if asked. But imagine Biden or Obama saying it & the GOP response. Trump is completely off the rails & the GOP response is pretending it’s not happening. More here: open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...

The Next Coup Attempt And How to Stop It

A longer version of this argument with more historical detail is on my substack under the title “The Next Coup Attempt.” (17/17)
snyder.substack.com/p/the-next-c...