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Apr 29, 2026 - World

Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) triggered outrage from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after he called President Donald Trump's war in Iran a "quagmire.""Secretary Hegseth, you have been lying to the American public about this war from day one, and so has the President," Garamendi said during a House Armed Services Committee budget hearing on Wednesday. "You have misled the public about why we are at war. You and the President have offered ever-changing reasons for this war. You've misled the public about the progress of the war.""This war of choice is a political and economic disaster at every level," he continued. "The President has got himself and America stuck in the quagmire of another war in the Middle East. He's desperately trying to extricate himself from his own mistakes."Hegseth responded by calling Garamendi "reckless.""When I said reckless, feckless, and defeatist of congressional Democrats at the beginning, that came after watching you say the same thing on CNN this morning, a quagmire," the Defense secretary gasped. "My generation served in a quagmire in Iraq and Afghanistan, years and years of nebulous missions and utopian nation building that led us to nothing.""Congressman, you should know better. Shame on you calling this a quagmire two months in!" he exclaimed. "You call it a quagmire, handing propaganda to our enemies, shame on you for that statement."Hegseth complained that Garamendi had said he supported the troops while calling the conflict in Iran a quagmire."That's a false equivalation!" he grumbled. "Who are you cheering for here? Who are you pulling for?""And you sit there and go on TV for your clickbait about quagmires!" Hegseth added. "Your hatred for President Trump blinds you to the truth of the success of this mission and the historic stakes that the president is addressing, which the American people support. Iran's been at war with us for 47 years! You want to talk about a forever war?""For two months, this president has stared them down. He's going to get a better deal than anyone ever has and ensure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon. I know the American people support that mission, despite your loose talk and words like quagmire!"

Apr 29, 2026 - World

Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) had to fight for speaking time during a contentious confrontation with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday morning, at one time having to exclaim, “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” to get the Donald Trump appointee to hush.As the ranking Democratic member of the House Armed Services Committee, Smith got the first shot at the former Fox News personality and was barely able to finish his questions before the amped up Hegseth began spouting talking points about the success of the Iran war that has continued to drag on.After Hegseth gave an opening statement touting the success of the war, Smith pounced.“You have to stare down this kind of enemy who is hell-bent on getting a nuclear weapon and get them to a point where they're at the table, giving it up in a way that they haven't have,” Hegseth stated which led Smith to interrupt with, “So they haven't broken yet? Okay, we haven't gotten there yet.”“Well, their nuclear facilities have been obliterated underground,” Hegseth shot back, which drew a puzzled look from the Democratic House member.As Hegseth continued with, “They are buried—”, Smith protested, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whow whoa whoa.”“Reclaiming my time for a second here," Smith lectured. “We had to start this war, you just said 60 days ago, because the nuclear weapon was an imminent threat. Now you're saying that it was completely obliterated?”“They had not given up their nuclear ambitions, and they had a conventional shield of thousands of —,” Hegseth protested as Smith talked over him and bluntly stated, “So Operation Midnight Hammer was a moment of nothing of substance. It left us in exactly the same place we were in before.” - YouTube youtu.be

Apr 29, 2026 - World

King Charles III has been praised by onlookers for an unlikely comparison made between President Donald Trump and a moment in US history. During a speech given at a state dinner, the visiting King noted the long-running relationship between the US and the United Kingdom. King Charles said, "You recently commented, Mr. President, that if it were not for the United States, European countries would be speaking German. Dare I say that if it wasn't for us, you'd be speaking French."Some analysts picked up on the subtle jab at Trump, with King Charles seemingly making reference to the War of 1812. The British Army burnt down the Capitol, the President's house, and other public buildings in Washington in 1814.Journalist Annette Dittert wrote, "I am not sure whether Trump understood how damning that allusion was, well hidden under a thick layer of British humor and self-deprecation. But to compare Trump's ballroom plans with the English destroying Washington during a war over trade in 1814 is quite something."Zeteo founder Mehdi Hasan added, "The best part of this joke is that Trump is laughing but I bet he doesn’t understand it."A separate speech from King Charles has been praised by CNN senior vice president David Chalian. He said, "He comes in with his position to be above it a bit and in his, you know, very British, stiff upper lip kind of way. "It's not that he was trying to get in a fight with President Trump, but he couldn't have seized the opportunity more to really stand clear on the importance of these things with a value system underneath it that is in contrast to a lot of what Donald Trump has been presenting on the world stage as it comes to these alliances."Trump's administration sparked widespread embarrassment when black lampposts outside the White House were adorned with Australian flags instead of British flags ahead of King Charles III's state visit. The blunder occurred as hundreds of national banners welcomed the King and Queen Camilla for a four-day visit to Washington, New York, and Virginia to commemorate 250 years since the Declaration of Independence.The i Paper's Victoria Richards wrote: "The US, meanwhile, can't even remember what our flag looks like... there's only 'king' who matters in Washington – and his name is Donald Trump." The error was quickly corrected by the DC Department of Transportation.

Apr 29, 2026 - World

President Donald Trump issued Iran a warning Wednesday by demanding that they “better get smart soon” as it relates to reaching a deal with the United States on de-nuclearization, posting an image of himself appearing to have been created with generative artificial intelligence holding an AR-15-style rifle in front of a barrage of explosions.“Iran can’t get their act together,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social at 4:05 AM Eastern. “They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon!”The image posted with his remarks depicts Trump holding a rifle and wearing a black suit and sunglasses. Behind him is mountainous terrain similar to Iran’s, with multiple explosions hitting what appear to be military compounds or buildings.“NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!” reads text plastered on the image.Peace talks between Washington and Tehran have stalled, with one of the major sticking points being Israel’s refusal to halt its strikes against Lebanon, a key demand of Iran, and in spite of Trump explicitly ordering Israel to cease its attacks on its northern neighbor.

Apr 29, 2026 - World

Soaring oil prices and the blockade are preventing food, fuel and medicine being delivered to millions of people in desperate need, say NGOsThe volatility of global oil prices caused by the US and Israel’s war on Iran is taking a toll on the most vulnerable people, by slowing or blocking food and medical aid from reaching them.Now aid organisations are calling for a “humanitarian corridor” to be opened through the strait of Hormuz amid rocketing transportation costs. Continue reading...