31 posts from Sunday, March 1, 2026

If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your bed.

Transcribed automatically. Expect errors in names and numbers.

Over the past 36 hours, the United States and its partners have launched Operation Epic Fury, one of the largest, most complex, most overwhelming military offensives the world has ever seen. Nobody has seen anything like it. We have hit hundreds of targets in Iran, including Revolutionary Guard facilities, Iranian air defense systems, just now was announced that we knocked out nine ships plus their naval building, all in a matter of literally minutes. Iran's formerly Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei is dead. This wretched and vile man had the blood of hundreds and even thousands of Americans on his hands and was responsible for the slaughter of countless thousands of innocent people all across many countries. Last night, all over Iran, the voices of the Iranian people could be heard cheering and celebrating in the streets when his death was announced. The entire military command is gone as well, and many of them want to surrender into saving their lives. They want immunity. They're calling by the thousands. Combat operations continue at this time in full force, and they will continue until all of our objectives are achieved. We have very strong objectives. They could have done something two weeks ago, but they just couldn't get there. Earlier today, CENTCOM shared the news that three U.S. military service members have been killed in action. As one nation, we grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, even as we continue the righteous mission for which they gave their lives. We pray for the full recovery of the wounded and send our immense love and eternal gratitude to the families of the fallen, and sadly, there will likely be more. Before it ends, that's the way it is. Likely be more, but we'll do everything possible where that won't be the case. But America will avenge their deaths and deliver the most punishing blow to the terrorists who have waged war against basically civilization. They have waged war against civilization itself. Our resolve, and likewise that of Israel, has never been stronger; America is now again the richest, most powerful nation in the world by far. But the only reason we enjoy the quality of life that we do and the freedom and security is we have done things that others are unable to do. But it's because of warriors who are willing to lay down their lives to do battle with our enemies, and they do battle better than anybody. An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be a dire threat to every American. We cannot allow a nation that raises terrorist armies to possess such weapons, would allow them to extort the world to their evil will. We're not going to let it happen. We're not happening to us, and we're not going to let it happen to others. The United States is the strongest military the world has ever seen. I rebuilt our military in my first term. There's never been a military like we possess. And frankly, there's nobody even close, but we are now using that military for good. We want to have it for good purpose. We're undertaking this massive operation not merely to ensure security for our own time and place, but for our children and their children, just as our ancestors have done for us many, many years ago. This is the duty and the burden of a free people. These actions are right, and they are necessary to ensure that Americans will never have to face a radical, bloodthirsty terrorist regime armed with nuclear weapons and lots of threats. For almost 50 years, these wicked extremists have been attacking the United States while chanting the slogan "Death to America" or "Death to Israel" or both. They are the world's number one state sponsor of terror. We are the world's greatest and most powerful nation, so we can do something about what they do. These intolerable threats will not continue any longer. I once again urge the Revolutionary Guard, the Iranian military police, to lay down your arms and receive full immunity or face certain death. It will be certain death. It won't be pretty. I call upon all Iranian patriots who yearn for freedom to seize this moment, to be brave, be bold, be heroic, and take back your country. America is with you. I made a promise to you, and I fulfilled that promise. The rest will be up to you, but we'll be there to help. Thank you. God bless you to our incredible warriors, and God bless the United States of America. Thank you.

Transcribed automatically. Expect errors in names and numbers.

And I have to tell you directly and personally that I regret voting for you for Secretary of State. I yield back. >> May I respond? >> You may, sir. >> Well, first of all, your regret for voting for me confirms I'm doing a good job based on what I know. >> That's just a flippant statement, Mr. Secretary. >> Can I respond, Mr. Chairman? >> You may. >> I didn't ask a question. >> Senator, please let the Secretary have a report. >> I'd be happy to, but then I can respond to his- >> Your time's up, Senator, and woefully used, I might add. Your remarks did not represent the view of this committee. Well, Mr. Chairman, well, I'd like to, I can't respond to everything he said because much of these are untrue, but I'll go through a few. First of all, I'm actually very proud of the work we've done with USAID, for example. I don't regret cutting $10 million for male circumcisions in Mozambique. I don't know how that makes us stronger and more prosperous as a nation. I don't regret psychosocial support services. >> I raised the hand, Mr. Secretary, not the Senator. >> Senator, I'd ask you to suspend. You had seven straight minutes. >> I chose to use my time that way, Mr. Chairman, that's my right to use my time that way. >> Please suspend, Secretary Rubin. >> Well, I can go on, I mean, there's other things here. We spent $227,000 for Big Cat's YouTube channel from USAID. We spent $14 million for social cohesion in Mali, whatever the hell that means. So I can go on and on, I got the list here, and there's more that I didn't even bring the whole list. In the case of El Salvador, absolutely, absolutely, we deported gang members. Gang members, including the one that you had a margarita with. That guy is a human trafficker, and that guy is a gang banger, and the evidence is going to be clear. In the days of time you're going to see who you want to defend- >> Mr. Chairman, please, Secretary Rubio has the floor. >> Mr. Chairman, he can't make unsubstantiated comments like that. Secretary Rubio has the floor. You had your time. >> Secretary Rubio should take that testimony to the federal court of the United States because he hasn't done it under oath. >> Here's another point, okay? There is a division in our government between the federal branch and the judicial branch. No judge and the judicial branch cannot tell me or the president how to conduct foreign policy. No judge can tell me how I have to outreach to a foreign partner or what I need to say to them. And if I do reach that foreign partner and talk to them, I have under no obligation to share that with a judiciary branch. Just like a judge cannot order me to negotiate with a foreign minister of Russia, they cannot order me to negotiate with a foreign minister or the president of El Salvador. And if I did negotiate with them, which we have responded to them, and we've told them we've had communications with the president of El Salvador. I am under no obligation, under our division of powers in this country, to share with the judicial branch how I conducted diplomacy of the United States. It would actually be counterproductive. If I started sharing with courts, or frankly, with the media, my conversations with foreign leaders and all of their details, no foreign leader would talk to me again, and we would break trust with them. So I have complied with every court order. What I won't comply with is an order to disclose what I'm saying and what we're talking about with a foreign leader. Because then they won't talk to me, diplomacy doesn't work that way. About the student visas, let me say this, I don't deport anybody, and I don't snatch anybody. The State Department does not have officers in the street snatching everybody. What I do is revoke visas, and it's very simple. A visa is not a right, it is a privilege. People apply for student visas to come into the United States and study. And if you tell me that you're coming to the United States to lead campus crusades, to take over libraries and try to burn down buildings and acts of violence, we're not going to give you a visa. >> But Ms. Oster did? >> We're not going to give you a visa. >> That what she did, come on Mr. Secretary. >> And every single one of these cases, the factors are different. The bottom line is if you come here to serve trouble on our campuses, we will deny you a visa. And if you have a visa and we find you and we'll revoke you, and we're going to do more, there are more coming. We're going to continue to revoke the visas of people who are here as guests and are disrupting our higher education facilities. People are paying money, these kids pay money to go to school, and they have to walk through a bunch of lunatics. >> Writing an op-ed to the top three papers disrupting the foreign policy of the United States. >> I want to do more, I hope we can find more of these things. >> That's pathetic, Mr. Secretary. >> In fact, the other day, the other day, some guy's led a riot, I forgot what university it was. And I asked, please, can you find the arrest records of all the people that were arrested at that riot at that campus? Because if any of them have a visa, we're going to revive them. >> I feel so much safer, you lock up people like Ms. Oster, Ms. Secretary. >> We've had enough time on the subject, thank you very much, and we're going to move to Senator Lee.

Transcribed automatically. Expect errors in names and numbers.

Last night, Trump outsmarted all of his political opponents with this single move. "One of the great things about the State of the Union is how it gives Americans the chance to see clearly what their representatives really believe." I love that the camera is on this guy because this summarizes the entire dynamic. You see him perk up like, "Oh, wait a minute, oh no, is this really about to happen?" Yes, it is. He's embracing the concept of "show, don't tell." At the last State of the Union, they realized this worked really well, so they just fine-tuned it and amped it up. He begins by setting the stage. Because we finally have a president who puts America first, who put America first. He then introduces a policy change that Congress is not going to be able to engage in insider trading anymore. This forces them to concede. They stood up for that, I can't believe. I can't believe it. Did Nancy Pelosi stand up if she was here? Doubt it. She then doubles down on "show, don't tell" by using example, after example, after example. Delilah Colvin was only five years old in June. Elizabeth Medina was supposed to perform in her town's Christmas parade. His opponents will claim, "These are just anecdotes, yes, but they're anecdotes that could have been prevented, and there's no denying that. These things happened. Their family is there in the room." He already knows they're not going to stand, but he then begins to bait them in just to ensure the outcome. And it is the American people who pay the price and hire medical bills, car insurance rates, rent taxes, and perhaps most importantly, crime. We will take care of this problem. We're going to take care of this problem. We are not playing games. Now the stage is set. He moves in for the kill. I've never seen anything like this in a state of the union. One of the great things about the state of the union is how it gives Americans the chance to see clearly what their representatives really believe. So tonight I'm inviting every legislator to join with my administration in reaffirming a fundamental principle. He's so nervous. He's literally biting his fingernails. If you agree with this statement, then stand up and show your support. The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens. Would anyone deny that? Regardless of how you feel about Trump, rather than pointing out, they're not standing up. He's requesting that they stand up to show support for something Now he waits and lets it sink in. It's difficult to believe that half of the government could be so stupid to allow themselves to fall into this trap. A lot of thought went into how to phrase the wording of this. It was designed to trap them, and it did. It was worded perfectly. I mean, you just look how long this went on for. I wish the cameras had focused on their faces more. We get a few examples here, and you can just imagine the people at home.

Transcribed automatically. Expect errors in names and numbers.

And the Ayatollah has been somebody who has been the center of a lot of focus for decades. Now, this is the greatest day in American foreign policy since the fall of the Berlin Wall. This is such a consequential moment. And if you think about it, we're celebrating the semi-quincentennial of our country. Over that time, there have been 45 American presidents, 47 presidencies, but Grover Cleveland and Trump served twice. And of those, a very small handful have truly changed the world. You can look at Ronald Reagan with the fall of communism. You can look at FDR with the defeat of Hitler and the defeat of fascism. Donald Trump is going to stake his place today as one of the most consequential commanders in chief in American history. And it's important to remember, this could have gone very badly. We just saw the State of the Union where he gave the Medal of Honor to Eric Slober, the helicopter pilot who carried out that mission to get Maduro. That was an incredibly risky decision by the president. If that helicopter had gone down, it could have been his desert one. The risk involved in this operation was 10 times that. And he didn't flinch. He made the right decision. And he's going to change the world because of it. I mean, I think your words are very powerful. I think the caveat here is we're on day one. And officials are telling us it could last two or three weeks. So we have a lot of military side of things can really handle a lot, as we saw with Venezuela and other operations, Midnight Hammer and others. One would think that there are multiple plans with multiple off-ramps in this whole operation. Sure, absolutely. And look, what Donald Trump is doing is forging a new way to lead on the world stage in the wake of Iraq and Afghanistan. When Ronald Reagan came in after the Vietnam War, there was no appetite for boots on the ground. So he forged the Reagan Doctrine, supporting freedom movements around the world to challenge the Soviet Union. Donald Trump has come in after Afghanistan and Iraq, where there's no appetite for American boots on the ground. And our choice is to retreat from the world or to lead in a different way. And that's what he's doing here. He's leading from the air. The ground forces in Iran are the Iranian people, and they're going to have their role to play. And that's what he was talking about today in that statement. So this is a new way of leading, and we got to give him time to work it out because it's very important that we continue to lead. It's a historic day. Panel, thanks so much.

Transcribed automatically. Expect errors in names and numbers.