President Donald J. Trump declared via Truth Social on April 22, 2026 that a rigged election had taken place the prior evening in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The declaration was filed in all capital letters. Republicans, the president reported, had been winning all day long. The Spirit, he noted, was unbelievable.

The president identified the mechanism of loss as a mail-in ballot drop occurring at the very end of the evening, producing what he described as another Crooked Victory for the Democrats. The margin was characterized as six to five going to ten to one, a formulation this correspondent has filed without editorial adjustment. The presidential election in November, he noted for comparison, had been very close to a 50-50 split.

The president further reported that the language on the Referendum had been purposefully unintelligible and deceptive. As supporting documentation for this characterization, the president noted that he is, as he described it, an extraordinarily brilliant person, and even he had no idea what the hell they were talking about. The identity of “they” was not specified.

The president has asked the Courts to review what he described as this travesty of “Justice.” The Courts have not yet responded.

The pronouns remain part of the record.

Source Block

Original source: Truth Social — @realDonaldTrump Archived copy: archive.org Screenshot on file: screenshots/2026-04-22-trump-virginia-election-rigged.png Retrieved: 2026-04-22

On April 20, 2026, at 2:11 PM, President Donald J. Trump posted to Truth Social that he was winning a War, BY A LOT, and that things were going very well. The post stated that the enemy was confused, that Iran’s Navy had been completely wiped out, its Air Force had gone onto darker runways, and that it had no Anti Missile or Anti Airplane Equipment remaining. The post further stated that the blockade was absolutely destroying Iran at a rate of $500 million dollars a day, described as an unsustainable number even in the short run. The post closed: “The Anti-America Fake News Media is rooting for Iran to win, but it’s not going to happen, because I’m in charge!” The post received 11,100 ReTruths and 49,800 Likes.

Later the same evening, at approximately 10:13 PM, the President posted to Truth Social that Iran has Violated the Cease Fire numerous times.

On April 8, 2026, a ceasefire between the United States, Israel, and Iran took effect following talks brokered by Pakistan. On April 16, 2026, the President announced a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon and posted that it had been his Honor to solve 9 Wars across the World, and that Lebanon would be his 10th. The administration has previously stated on multiple occasions that the United States is not at war with Iran. The military operation has been described by the administration as a military operation, not a war. It is worth noting the United States is not at war. Trump remains a peace-time president.

The Cease Fire has been violated numerous times. The War is going very well.

Source Block

Original source: Truth Social @realDonaldTrump Additional source: Truth Social @realDonaldTrump Archived copy: archive.org Screenshot on file: screenshots/trump-winning-war-ceasefire-violated.png Retrieved: 2026-04-21

Additional sources:

• CBS News — ceasefire context, blockade status: https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-trump-strait-of-hormuz-touska-ship-seized-peace-talks-uncertainty/
• Related dispatch: President Announces It Has Been His Honor to Solve 9 Wars and That Lebanon Will Be His 10th
• Related dispatch: Iran Announces Strait of Hormuz Fully Open. President Thanks Iran for Opening Strait of Iran.

On April 17, 2026, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted to X that passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz was declared completely open for the remaining period of the ceasefire, in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon. He stated that ships could move on the coordinated route as already announced by Iranian authorities.

At 9:06 AM on the same day, President Donald J. Trump posted to Truth Social: “IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE. THANK YOU!”

The waterway is named the Strait of Hormuz. It has been named the Strait of Hormuz since the sixteenth century, after the historic port city of Hormuz on its northern shore. Approximately 20 percent of the world’s seaborne oil passes through it. Iran announced it open. The President thanked Iran.

The Strait of Hormuz remains the Strait of Hormuz.

Source Block

Original source: Truth Social @realDonaldTrump Archived copy: archive.org Screenshot on file: screenshots/trump-strait-of-iran-hormuz-open.png Retrieved: 2026-04-17

Additional sources:

• Bloomberg — Iran Foreign Minister Araghchi announcement: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-17/iran-says-hormuz-strait-now-completely-open-for-commercial-ships
• CBS News — Lebanon ceasefire and Hormuz context: https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-us-trump-strait-of-hormuz-diplomacy-ceasefire/
• Related dispatch: President Announces It Has Been His Honor to Solve 9 Wars and That Lebanon Will Be His 10th

On April 16, 2026, Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, posted to X that he did not believe President Trump would knowingly depict himself as Jesus Christ, that when the President learned of concerns about the AI-generated healing image he immediately removed the post, and that upon viewing the illustration himself he saw no spiritual references — no halo, no crosses, no angels — only a flag, soldiers, a nurse, fighter planes, eagles, and the Statue of Liberty. Graham described the reaction as a lot to do about nothing. Regarding the separately posted image of Jesus with his arm around the President, which the President described as quite nice, Graham wrote that he liked the fact that it depicted Jesus whispering in the President’s ear, guiding him, and that he would have to agree it was nice. The post received 1.6 million views.

On April 1, 2026, Graham delivered the opening prayer at a White House Holy Week lunch attended by the President, the Vice President, cabinet members, and six additional members of the clergy. In the prayer, Graham compared the Iranian government to the Persian regime in the biblical Book of Esther and cast the President in the role of a divinely appointed figure. “Today the Iranians, the wicked regime of this government, wants to kill every Jew and destroy them with an atomic fire,” Graham said. “But you have raised up President Trump. You’ve raised him up for such a time as this. Father, we pray that you’ll give him victory.” He closed by praying for the people of Iran to be set free from what he described as Islamic lunatics. That prayer was delivered at a White House event. A video of the prayer was subsequently removed from the White House YouTube page.

On March 31, 2026, in an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Graham pushed back against Pope Leo XIV’s Palm Sunday statement that God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war. Graham cited the Old Testament example of King David. “Well, he didn’t reject David’s prayers, that’s for sure,” Graham said. He described the Iranian government as evil and said he hoped for regime change. He told Morgan he was not Roman Catholic and came from a different perspective. In his April 16 post, Graham expressed hope that the President and Pope Leo would meet, and that the Pope would have the opportunity to thank the President for his efforts to protect religious liberty for Catholics and people of all faiths.

Graham described the healing image as a lot to do about nothing. He said he thinks there is an attempt to spin it into something that it is not.

Source Block

Original source: Franklin Graham on X Archived copy: archive.org Screenshot on file: screenshots/franklin-graham-jesus-image-lot-to-do-about-nothing.png Retrieved: 2026-04-16

Additional sources:

• Graham White House Easter prayer — IBTimes: https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/franklin-graham-white-house-prayer-backlash-1790342
• Graham Easter prayer full text — Christian Post: https://www.christianpost.com/news/franklin-graham-cites-king-david-in-response-to-papal-war-rebuke.html
• Graham at CPAC “raised him up” — Charlotte Observer via union-bulletin: https://www.union-bulletin.com/news/national/franklin-graham-says-trump-has-been-raised-up-by-god-urges-loyalty-in-midterms/article_bc1cbd4d-5aef-514f-9294-e81cd9144730.html
• Graham on Piers Morgan March 31 — Christian Post: https://www.christianpost.com/news/franklin-graham-cites-king-david-in-response-to-papal-war-rebuke.html
• White House Easter context — Religion News Service: https://religionnews.com/2026/04/06/donald-trumps-hellish-and-holy-easter/
• PBS — Graham “raised him up for such a time as this”: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/a-president-and-a-pope-two-of-the-worlds-most-influential-americans-at-odds-over-iran
• Related dispatch: 2026-04-13-trump-deletes-healing-image-doctor.md
• Related dispatch: 2026-04-15-trump-jesus-arm-around-quite-nice.md

On April 15, 2026, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth led a Christian worship service at the Pentagon, one of a series of regular services he has hosted at the department since taking office. During the service, Hegseth told those assembled that fifteen minutes prior he had been discussing blockades with Admiral Brad Cooper, who has led U.S. forces during the Iran war, and that what they discussed in worship should inform their military decisions and conduct. He then introduced a prayer he said had been recited by the combat search and rescue team known as Sandy 1 ahead of the mission to recover U.S. Air Force crew members shot down over Iran earlier in the month. He said the prayer was titled CSAR 2517, adding: “I think is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17.” He asked those present to pray with him and read the prayer aloud.

The prayer Hegseth read was adapted almost word-for-word from a monologue delivered by the character Jules Winnfield, played by Samuel L. Jackson, in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film Pulp Fiction. In the film, Jules recites the speech immediately before shooting an unarmed man. He attributes it to Ezekiel 25:17. The prayer as Hegseth read it substituted the phrase “downed aviator” for “righteous man,” “camaraderie and duty” for “charity and good will,” “brother’s keeper” for the film’s “brother’s keeper,” and closed with “you will know my call sign is Sandy 1 when I lay my vengeance upon thee” in place of the film’s “you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.” The passage Tarantino wrote for the film was itself adapted from a line in the 1973 Japanese martial arts film Bodyguard Kiba, substituting “the Lord” for “Chiba the Bodyguard.” Tarantino attributed the passage to Ezekiel. The actual text of Ezekiel 25:17 in the King James Bible reads: “And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.”

The April 15 service was the second in a row at which Hegseth read a violent prayer framed in religious terms. At a March service, he read a prayer that included the line: “Grant this task force clear and righteous targets for violence.” He also called for “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.” At the April 15 service, Hegseth also compared journalists to the Pharisees, the New Testament figures who opposed Jesus, stating that their hearts were hardened and that even though they witnessed a literal miracle it did not matter, as they were only there to explain away the goodness in pursuit of their agenda. The Department of War did not comment.

The actual Ezekiel 25:17 remains one sentence long.

Source Block

Original source: Forbes Archived copy: archive.org Screenshot on file: screenshots/hegseth-pulp-fiction-pentagon-prayer-ezekiel.png Retrieved: 2026-04-16

Additional sources:

• Variety — full attribution chain including Bodyguard Kiba: https://variety.com/2026/film/news/pete-hegseth-pulp-fiction-fake-bible-verse-prayer-service-1236723446/
• A Public Witness — first to identify the Pulp Fiction link: https://publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/hegseth-borrows-violent-prayer-from
• Middle East Eye — full prayer text, Department of War renamed: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-pete-hegseth-reads-fake-bible-verse-pulp-fiction-during-pentagon-sermon
• Daily Beast — March prayer “overwhelming violence of action”: https://www.thedailybeast.com/pentagon-pete-hegseth-cites-fake-pulp-fiction-bible-verse-in-bonkers-prayer-meeting/
• Newsweek — impeachment context, Pentagon response: https://www.newsweek.com/people-ask-pete-hegseth-quoted-quentin-tarantino-version-bible-11836528

On April 16, 2026, President Donald J. Trump posted to Truth Social that he had spoken with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and that the two leaders had agreed to begin a 10-day ceasefire at 5 PM EST. The President announced he would invite both leaders to the White House for what he described as the first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1983. He directed Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Razin Caine to work toward a lasting peace. The post stated: “It has been my Honor to solve 9 Wars across the World, and this will be my 10th, so let’s, GET IT DONE!”

The President’s war count has been updated at intervals since July 2025. In July 2025 he posted that he had stopped six wars, averaging about a war a month. In August 2025 he said he had solved seven. In September 2025, addressing the United Nations General Assembly, he listed the seven conflicts: Cambodia and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, Pakistan and India, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Armenia and Azerbaijan. By December 2025 the count had reached eight. The count now stands at nine. The conflicts described as solved include the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, which began on February 28, 2026, with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, and concluded with a ceasefire on April 8. The ceasefire is currently in effect. The President has previously stated that the United States is not at war with Iran. The operation has been described by the administration as a military operation, not a war. It is worth noting the United States is not at war. Trump remains a peace-time president.

The first direct talks between Lebanon and Israel in 34 years were held on April 14, 2026, in Washington, mediated by Secretary of State Rubio. The ambassadors of Lebanon and Israel sat across from one another while U.S. officials sat between them. No ceasefire was reached. Rubio told reporters: “This is a process, not an event.” Lebanon entered the talks seeking a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, the release of Lebanese prisoners, and the return of more than one million displaced persons. Israel entered the talks seeking the dismantling of Hezbollah’s weapons. Israel has maintained a military presence in southern Lebanon despite agreeing to withdraw as part of a 2024 ceasefire agreement. As of April 15, Israeli strikes had killed 2,164 people in Lebanon and wounded 7,061, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.

The night before the April 16 announcement, the President posted that he was trying to get a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon and that it had been a long time since the two leaders had spoken, like 34 years. He added: “It will happen tomorrow. Nice!”

Lebanon will be his 10th.

Source Block

Original source: Truth Social @realDonaldTrump Screenshot on file: screenshots/trump-9-wars-lebanon-10th.png Retrieved: 2026-04-16

Additional sources:

• CNBC — Israel-Lebanon talks background, death toll: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/16/trump-israel-lebanon-talks-hezbollah-ceasefire-conflict.html
• PBS — what to know about the talks: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/what-to-know-about-new-direct-talks-between-lebanon-and-israel
• Al Jazeera — April 14 Washington meeting: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/14/israel-and-lebanon-hold-rare-talks-in-washington-dc-amid-iran-war
• Washington Times — April 16 announcement: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/apr/16/donald-trump-says-lebanon-israel-meet-talks-thursday/
• FactCheck.org — war count history through August 2025: https://www.factcheck.org/2025/08/addressing-trumps-claims-about-ending-multiple-wars/
• PolitiFact — UN speech September 2025, seven wars listed: https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2025/sep/23/donald-trump/trump-ended-seven-wars-un-general-assembly/
• AP/ADN — eight wars December 2025: https://www.adn.com/nation-world/2025/12/09/trump-claims-he-has-solved-8-wars-heres-what-to-know-about-that/

On April 14, 2026, Vice President JD Vance appeared at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Georgia in Athens as part of the organization’s This Is the Turning Point Tour, a college campus speaking series. During the event, Vance was asked by a host what it was like to be positioned between President Trump and Pope Leo XIV amid their ongoing disagreement over the Iran war. While Vance was answering, a voice from the audience called out: “Jesus Christ does not support genocide.” A second voice called out: “You’re killing children. You’re bombing children.” Vance continued his remarks.

In his response to the host’s question, Vance cited the Catholic theological tradition of just war theory in defense of the administration’s conduct in Iran. He stated that when the Pope says God is never on the side of those who wield the sword, there is a thousand-year tradition of just war theory to consider. Vance also argued that God was on the side of those who liberated France and other oppressed groups from the Nazis. He described the Pope’s job as being to preach the gospel. Vance said he admires Pope Leo XIV and has no problem with him speaking on issues. He then offered the following caution: “In the same way that it’s important for the vice president of the United States to be careful when I talk about matters of public policy, I think it’s very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology.”

Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born leader of the Catholic Church, posted to X on April 10 that God and his followers are never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs. On April 12, President Trump posted to Truth Social that Leo was WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy, and stated that he did not want a Pope who thought it was acceptable for Iran to possess a nuclear weapon. On April 13, aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria, Leo told reporters he had no fear of the Trump administration. On April 15, the United States Naval blockade of Iranian ports entered its second day. Nine vessels had been turned around at the Strait of Hormuz in the first 48 hours of enforcement, according to U.S. Central Command.

JD Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019. He is the second Catholic to hold the office of Vice President of the United States. Pope Leo XIV is the head of the Catholic Church. Vance said he thinks it is very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology.

Source Block

Original source: USA Today Additional source: ABC News Iran live updates Archived copy: archive.org Screenshot on file: screenshots/vance-pope-theology-turning-point.png Retrieved: 2026-04-15

Additional sources:

• Blockade day two — CENTCOM 48-hour summary: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/15/us-strait-of-hormuz-blockade-navy-iran-seaborne-trade-oil-trump.html
• Internal cross-reference: 2026-04-13-trump-pope-leo-ai-healing-image.md

On April 15, 2026, at 7:56 AM, President Donald J. Trump reposted to Truth Social a screenshot of a post from the X account @Dkelly4congress, which operates under the name Irish for Trump. The post contained an AI-generated image depicting Jesus Christ with his arm around the President, set against an American flag background. The accompanying caption read: “I was never a very religious man.. but doesn’t it seem, with all these satanic, demonic, child sacrificing monsters being exposed… that God might be playing his Trump card!” The President added the comment: “The Radical Left Lunatics might not like this, but I think it is quite nice!!! President DJT.” The post had received 196 views at the time of filing.

The image had been in circulation since at least February 24, 2026, when it was first documented on Facebook. It was reposted to X by @Dkelly4congress on April 15, 2026, where the President encountered it. Three days prior, on April 12, 2026, the President had posted a different AI-generated image to Truth Social depicting himself in white and red robes consistent with religious iconography, with one hand resting on the forehead of an elderly bedridden man and light visibly emanating from his fingers. That image was deleted from the President’s Truth Social account by the morning of April 13. Speaking to reporters outside the Oval Office, the President confirmed he had posted the image and stated he had believed it depicted him as a doctor affiliated with the Red Cross. He described the widespread interpretation of the image as a depiction of Jesus Christ as a fabrication of the fake news.

The President has posted AI-generated religious imagery of himself on at least one prior occasion. In May 2025, during the official mourning period following the death of Pope Francis, the President posted an AI-generated image of himself in full papal vestments. That image was also shared to the White House’s official social media account. It was not deleted. The New York State Catholic Conference, which represents the state’s bishops, stated at the time: “There is nothing clever or funny about this image.” At an Easter luncheon on April 1, 2026, a video was posted to the White House YouTube page in which the President said: “On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem as crowds welcomed him with praise, honouring him as king. They call me king now. Can you believe it?” That video was subsequently removed from the White House YouTube page.

In the image posted on April 15, Jesus has his arm around the President. In the image posted on April 12, the President’s hand was on the forehead of a bedridden man, with light emanating from his fingers. The President described the April 12 image as depicting a doctor. He described the April 15 image as quite nice.

The Radical Left Lunatics have not yet commented.

Source Block

Original source: Truth Social @realDonaldTrump Original X post: @Dkelly4congress Facebook origin: Danny Whiteys, February 24, 2026 Archived copy: archive.org Screenshot on file: screenshots/trump-jesus-arm-around-quite-nice.png Retrieved: 2026-04-15

Additional sources:

• April 12 healing image and deletion: 2026-04-13-trump-pope-leo-ai-healing-image.md
• April 13 deletion and doctor explanation: 2026-04-13-trump-deletes-healing-image-doctor.md
• May 2025 papal vestments image — Snopes confirmation: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-pope-ai-image/
• NY Catholic Conference response to papal image: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/13/trump-jesus-truth-social-pope-leo.html
• Palm Sunday Easter luncheon video — Wikipedia sourced: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_and_religion
• Image origin research (Grok, February 24 Facebook post): provided in session

The Dispatch

On April 15, 2026, at 7:56 AM, President Donald J. Trump reposted to Truth Social a screenshot of a post from the X account @Dkelly4congress, which operates under the name Irish for Trump. The post contained an AI-generated image depicting Jesus Christ with his arm around the President, set against an American flag background. The accompanying caption read: “I was never a very religious man.. but doesn’t it seem, with all these satanic, demonic, child sacrificing monsters being exposed… that God might be playing his Trump card!” The President added the comment: “The Radical Left Lunatics might not like this, but I think it is quite nice!!! President DJT.” The post had received 196 views at the time of filing.

The image had been in circulation since at least February 24, 2026, when it was first documented on Facebook. It was reposted to X by @Dkelly4congress on April 15, 2026, where the President encountered it. Three days prior, on April 12, 2026, the President had posted a different AI-generated image to Truth Social depicting himself in white and red robes consistent with religious iconography, with one hand resting on the forehead of an elderly bedridden man and light visibly emanating from his fingers. That image was deleted from the President’s Truth Social account by the morning of April 13. Speaking to reporters outside the Oval Office, the President confirmed he had posted the image and stated he had believed it depicted him as a doctor affiliated with the Red Cross. He described the widespread interpretation of the image as a depiction of Jesus Christ as a fabrication of the fake news. Three days after the deletion, the President returned to post an image of Jesus Christ with his arm around him.

The President has posted AI-generated religious imagery of himself on at least one prior occasion. In May 2025, during the official mourning period following the death of Pope Francis, the President posted an AI-generated image of himself in full papal vestments. That image was also shared to the White House’s official social media account. It was not deleted. The New York State Catholic Conference, which represents the state’s bishops, stated at the time: “There is nothing clever or funny about this image.” At an Easter luncheon on April 1, 2026, a video was posted to the White House YouTube page in which the President said: “On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem as crowds welcomed him with praise, honouring him as king. They call me king now. Can you believe it?” That video was subsequently removed from the White House YouTube page.

In the image posted on April 15, Jesus has his arm around the President. In the image posted on April 12, the President’s hand was on the forehead of a bedridden man, with light emanating from his fingers. The President described the April 12 image as depicting a doctor. He described the April 15 image as quite nice.

The Radical Left Lunatics have not yet commented.

Source Block

Original source: Truth Social @realDonaldTrump Original X post: @Dkelly4congress Facebook origin: Danny Whiteys, February 24, 2026 Archived copy: archive.org Screenshot on file: screenshots/trump-jesus-arm-around-quite-nice.png Retrieved: 2026-04-15

Additional sources:

• April 12 healing image and deletion: 2026-04-13-trump-pope-leo-ai-healing-image.md
• April 13 deletion and doctor explanation: 2026-04-13-trump-deletes-healing-image-doctor.md
• May 2025 papal vestments image — Snopes confirmation: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-pope-ai-image/
• NY Catholic Conference response to papal image: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/13/trump-jesus-truth-social-pope-leo.html
• Palm Sunday Easter luncheon video — Wikipedia sourced: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_and_religion
• Image origin research (Grok, February 24 Facebook post): provided in session

On April 15, 2026, President Donald J. Trump posted to Truth Social in support of a clean 18-month reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which is scheduled to expire on April 20. The post acknowledged that the program had been used against the President personally and stated that he was willing to “risk giving up his Rights and Privileges as a Citizen” in order to support its renewal. The post closed with the words “Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.” The House is scheduled to vote on H.R. 8035, the reauthorization legislation, this week.

On April 10, 2024, the President posted to Truth Social: “KILL FISA, IT WAS ILLEGALLY USED AGAINST ME, AND MANY OTHERS. THEY SPIED ON MY CAMPAIGN!!!” That post preceded a procedural vote on the prior reauthorization by several hours. Nineteen Republican members joined Democrats to defeat the procedural motion. Section 702 was subsequently extended through a defense spending bill and reauthorized in 2024 with 56 amendments, none of which included a warrant requirement for searches of Americans’ communications.

Section 702 authorizes the collection of digital communications of foreign nationals located outside the United States without an individualized court order. The program also collects communications of American citizens, which federal agencies including the FBI, CIA, NSA, and National Counterterrorism Center may then search without a warrant in what oversight organizations have described as backdoor searches. The FBI conducted 7,413 such searches of Americans’ data in the 2024-2025 window, a figure that represents a 35 percent increase over the prior year. Twenty-eight percent of those searches returned results. The FISA Court, in findings dated April 9, 2026, noted that compliance problems the Department of Justice had reported as resolved are in fact ongoing across the intelligence community.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who as a Hawaii congresswoman sponsored legislation to repeal Section 702 in its entirety, supports the clean extension. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, who voted against reauthorization in 2024, is currently whipping votes in favor of it. The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, which in 2023 issued a report describing Section 702 as presenting significant privacy and civil liberties risks, was effectively dissolved in January 2025. Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida has indicated she will attach the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act to the reauthorization bill. Speaker Johnson told Representative Luna she could bear responsibility for thousands of American deaths if the program lapses.

The program expires in five days. The President has said he is willing to give up his rights and privileges. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Source Block

Original source: Truth Social @realDonaldTrump Archived copy: archive.org Screenshot on file: screenshots/trump-fisa-702-reauthorization-rights-privileges.png Retrieved: 2026-04-15

Additional sources:

• Trump “KILL FISA” April 2024: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/apr/10/donald-trump-rails-against-renewing-governments-sp/
• CNN — FISA procedural vote defeated April 2024: https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/10/politics/trump-fisa-speaker-johnson-house-republicans/index.html
• NPR — full FISA 702 context: https://www.npr.org/2026/04/14/nx-s1-5768270/what-to-know-about-section-702-surveillance
• CNN — White House push for clean extension: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/13/politics/fisa-section-702-suveillance-law-expiration-congress
• Axios — White House urges clean extension, Johnson vote count: https://www.axios.com/2026/04/13/white-house-fisa-reauthorization-mike-johnson
• Roll Call — House Rules Committee, ongoing compliance failures: https://rollcall.com/2026/04/14/house-starts-uncertain-push-to-reauthorize-key-surveillance-authority/
• Brennan Center — FISC April 9 findings, ongoing violations: https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/section-702-foreign-intelligence-surveillance-act
• State of Surveillance — FBI searches up 35%, 28% return rate: https://stateofsurveillance.org/news/fisa-702-9-days-ex-spy-chiefs-fisc-renewal-countdown-april-2026/
• Reason — Gabbard and Trump reversals: https://reason.com/2026/03/27/trump-backs-section-702-reauthorization-after-once-calling-to-kill-fisa/

On Monday morning, the AI-generated image depicting President Donald J. Trump in white and red robes performing a faith healing was deleted from the President’s Truth Social account. Direct links to the post returned an infinite loading screen. Speaking to reporters at an impromptu press conference outside the Oval Office, the President confirmed he had posted the image and offered the following clarification: “I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do with Red Cross. There’s a Red Cross worker there, which we support, and only the fake news could come up with that one.” The President continued: “It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better, and I do make people better. I make people a lot better.”

The image was a slightly altered version of one posted several months earlier by Nick Adams, a right-wing influencer, who accompanied his original post with the caption: “America has been sick for a long time. President Trump is healing this nation.” In March 2026, the President appointed Adams to serve as Special Presidential Envoy for American Tourism, Exceptionalism and Values. The image Adams posted was modified and reshared to the President’s Truth Social account on the evening of April 12, 2026, without a caption, approximately forty-six minutes after the President’s lengthy critique of Pope Leo XIV. April 12, 2026 was Orthodox Easter Sunday.

The post drew condemnation from a number of the President’s prominent supporters. Former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote that the image depicted the President “as if he is replacing Jesus” and described it as “more than blasphemy,” adding: “It’s an Antichrist spirit.” Conservative commentator Riley Gaines stated she could not understand why the President would post the image and wrote: “God shall not be mocked.” Fox News contributor and former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer described the post as “inappropriate and embarrassing” and “offensive.” Republican Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska called it “a gaudy and juvenile post.” Conservative Christian commentator Allie Beth Stuckey attributed the image to the President’s spiritual environment, writing: “That image is what happens when Paula White is your personal pastor and people around you are continually comparing you to Christ.” Conservative author Michael Knowles wrote that it behooved the President “both spiritually and politically to delete the picture.” The White House did not respond to requests for comment.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed a post on the platform X directly to Pope Leo XIV. “I condemn the insult to Your Excellency on behalf of the great nation of Iran,” Pezeshkian wrote, “and declare that the desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood, is not acceptable to any free person. I wish you glory by Allah.” The post received 104,000 likes and 6.1 million views. The President stated he would not apologize to the Pope. “Pope Leo said things that are wrong,” the President told reporters.

The image was the third post in a related sequence to be removed. During the official mourning period for the late Pope Francis in May 2025, the President posted an AI-generated image depicting himself in papal vestments; that image was also shared to the White House’s official social media account before being removed. A video posted to the White House YouTube page from an Easter luncheon this month, in which the President said “They call me king now. Can you believe it?” in the context of a discussion of Palm Sunday, was subsequently removed from the White House YouTube page. Asked on Monday whether the healing image depicted him as Jesus Christ, the President said: “It wasn’t a depiction.”

Mr. Adams’s title is Special Presidential Envoy for American Tourism, Exceptionalism and Values.

Source Block

Original source: Washington Times Archived copy: archive.org Screenshot on file: screenshots/trump-deletes-healing-image-doctor.png Retrieved: 2026-04-13

Additional sources:

• CBS News — Nick Adams origin, Allie Beth Stuckey quote: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-posts-ai-image-jesus-christ/
• NBC News — deletion confirmed, Palm Sunday “they call me king” video: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/image-depitching-trump-christ-savior-removed-presidents-social-media-p-rcna331554
• Fox News — backlash from allies: https://www.foxnews.com/media/trumps-meme-depicting-himself-jesus-christ-draws-backlash-from-allies
• Daily Caller — Christian right backlash detail: https://dailycaller.com/2026/04/13/trump-deletes-jesus-post-truth-social-christian-backlash/
• Irish Times — full sequence coverage: https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2026/04/13/trump-deletes-post-with-ai-image-depicting-him-as-jesus-i-thought-it-was-me-as-a-doctor/
• Newsweek — “It wasn’t a depiction” quote: https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-jesus-truth-social-post-doctor-pope-11822035
• Pezeshkian post to Pope Leo XIV: visible in screenshot filed 2026-04-13
• Internal cross-reference: 2026-04-13-trump-pope-leo-ai-healing-image.md

At 9:03 PM on April 12, 2026, President Donald J. Trump posted to Truth Social a lengthy critique of Pope Leo XIV, describing the pontiff as WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy. The post, which received 5,820 ReTruths and 21,500 Likes, stated that the President did not want a Pope who thought it was acceptable for Iran to possess a nuclear weapon, nor one who objected to the American military operation in Venezuela. It further stated that Pope Leo owed his position to the President, on the grounds that the Catholic Church had selected an American pontiff specifically to facilitate dealings with the White House. The President indicated he preferred Leo’s brother Louis, whom he described as all MAGA. The post closed with the instruction that Leo should focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician.

At 9:49 PM on the same evening, forty-six minutes later, the President posted an AI-generated image to Truth Social. The image depicts the President in white and red robes consistent with religious iconography, his right hand resting on the forehead of an elderly bedridden man, from whose head and from the President’s hand light is visibly emanating. Surrounding figures include a praying woman, a soldier in a military cap, a bearded man, and a nurse in blue scrubs. The background contains a large American flag, bald eagles, fighter jets, fireworks, and the Statue of Liberty. Military figures ascend into heavenly light above the central composition. The post received 2,630 ReTruths and 11,100 Likes.

The image is not the first of its kind. During the official mourning period for the late Pope Francis in May 2025, prior to Leo’s election, the President posted a separately generated AI image depicting himself in papal vestments. That image was also shared to the White House’s official social media account. Following Leo’s election on May 8, 2025, the President described the development as such a Great Honor for our Country and said he looked forward to a very meaningful moment of meeting. On April 12, 2026, to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, the President stated he did not think Leo was doing a very good job and said, of the pontiff’s policy positions, he likes crime, I guess.

Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born leader of the Catholic Church, was aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria at the time of the President’s Sunday night posts, beginning an eleven-day tour of four African nations. Speaking to reporters on Monday, the Pope confirmed he had no fear of the Trump administration and stated his appeals for peace were rooted in the Gospel. He noted that the Church does not approach foreign policy from the same perspective the President might understand. The image of the President remained posted to the Truth Social account as of Monday morning.

The Pope’s response was filed from the plane.

Source Block

Original source — text post: Truth Social @realDonaldTrump Original source — image post: Truth Social @realDonaldTrump Archived copy: archive.org Screenshot on file: screenshots/trump-pope-leo-ai-healing-image.png Retrieved: 2026-04-13

Additional sources:

• Al Jazeera coverage of Trump-Leo feud: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/13/terrible-for-foreign-policy-trump-attacks-pope-leo-after-peace-appeal
• NBC News — Leo responds from papal plane: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-not-big-fan-weak-terrible-pope-leo-rcna331461
• CBS News — Leo XIV coverage: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-pope-leo-weak-on-crime-iran-truth-social/
• CNN coverage: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/12/politics/trump-pope-leo-criticism-hnk-intl
• PBS — Trump and Leo as two Americans at odds: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/a-president-and-a-pope-two-of-the-worlds-most-influential-americans-at-odds-over-iran
• Trump congratulates Leo on election, May 8 2025: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-pope-leo-xiv-american-trump-reaction/
• Trump AI pope image during Francis mourning period: https://www.cathstan.org/us-world/trump-congratulates-pope-leo-xiv-a-great-honor-for-our-country

On April 9, 2026, the White House Office of the First Lady issued a formal statement regarding Jeffrey Epstein on the official White House briefings and statements page — the same page used to publish executive orders, presidential proclamations, and statements of administration policy. The statement, attributed to First Lady Melania Trump, denied any meaningful relationship with Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, acknowledged an email exchange with Maxwell which it characterized as casual correspondence, and confirmed that the First Lady’s name does not appear in court documents, depositions, victim statements, or FBI interview records related to the Epstein matter. The statement further noted that several individuals and companies have been legally obligated to retract prior claims, citing The Daily Beast, James Carville, and Harper Collins UK.

The statement called on Congress to convene a public hearing specifically centered on Epstein survivors, with testimony given under oath and entered permanently into the Congressional Record. The First Lady described this as the only mechanism by which the full truth would emerge. The statement noted that Epstein was not present when she met Donald Trump in 1998, and that her first encounter with Epstein occurred in the year 2000, at an event she attended with her husband. It described the circulating images and statements linking her to Epstein as completely false.

Nine months prior, on July 9, 2025, President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social characterizing interest in the Epstein matter as a Democrat Hoax, describing Epstein-related pressure from within his own base as a SCAM, and stating he no longer wished for the support of individuals pushing for full file disclosure. A separate post from the same period described Epstein as “a guy who never dies” and questioned why Republicans were giving publicity to files written by, in the President’s characterization, Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, and Brennan. The President also stated at that time that he did not want the support of people focused on the Epstein matter.

In 2002, in an interview with New York magazine, the President described Epstein as a terrific guy and noted that he was known to like beautiful women, many of them on the younger side. In July 2019, following Epstein’s federal arrest, the President told reporters he had had a falling out with Epstein a long time ago and had not spoken to him in fifteen years. In September 2025, in an interview with Lex Fridman, the President described Epstein as a good salesman.

The First Lady’s statement remains published on the official White House briefings page.

Source Block

Original source: White House Briefings & Statements Archived copy: archive.org Screenshot on file: screenshots/melania-epstein-whitehouse-statement.png Retrieved: 2026-04-10

Additional sources:

• Trump 2002 New York magazine quote: https://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/n_7912/
• Trump July 2019 Oval Office remarks: https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-amir-al-thani-state-qatar-bilateral-meeting/
• Trump Truth Social July 2025 (Hoax post): https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115538279653817159
• Trump Truth Social July 2025 (never dies post): https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114842356238631061
• Trump Lex Fridman September 2025: on record via Fridman podcast

The United States House of Representatives voted 212 to 219 on March 5, 2026 to block a war powers resolution that would have required congressional approval for any further military action against Iran. The Senate had defeated a similar measure the previous day. Following the House vote, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, stated: “We are not at war. We have no intention of being at war.”

Representative Thomas Massie, Republican of Kentucky, co-authored the resolution with Representative Ro Khanna, Democrat of California, and was one of two Republicans to vote in favour of it. Massie subsequently criticised Johnson’s characterisation of the conflict. The operation against Iran, launched jointly with Israel on February 28, had by that date killed the Iranian Supreme Leader, expended hundreds of Tomahawk cruise missiles, and produced over a thousand confirmed Iranian casualties. Six United States service members had been confirmed dead. The operation has not been designated a war. Johnson’s statement that the United States has no intention of being at war was made one week after the operation began.

Mike Johnson, 54, is the 56th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and represents Louisiana’s 4th congressional district. He was elected to Congress in 2016 and became Speaker in October 2023 following the removal of Kevin McCarthy, having served less than seven years in the House — among the shortest tenures of any Speaker in modern history. Before entering politics, Johnson spent nearly two decades as a constitutional lawyer, working as a senior attorney for the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal advocacy organisation. His inaugural speech as Speaker stated that Scripture is very clear that God is the one who raises up those in authority. He is a Southern Baptist and has described the separation of church and state as a so-called separation. He and his wife host a podcast exploring Christianity’s role in American civil life. Johnson was among the 147 Republicans who voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. He voted to block the war powers resolution.

Thomas Massie, 55, has represented Kentucky’s 4th congressional district since 2012 and describes himself as a libertarian Republican and constitutional conservative. Before entering politics, he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, founded a haptic technology startup for which he holds 29 patents, and served as Lewis County Judge-Executive in Kentucky. He lives on a 1,500-acre off-grid cattle farm in Garrison, Kentucky, in a house he built himself from local stone, powered by solar panels. He is known in the House as Mr. No for his frequency of dissenting votes, has been described as the most anti-Trump Republican in Washington, and is currently facing a Trump-backed primary challenge in May 2026. Trump has called him a third-rate grandstander. Massie has called for congressional approval of the Iran operation. He voted for the war powers resolution.

The War Powers Resolution was passed by Congress in 1973, over President Nixon’s veto, following the Vietnam War. It establishes presidential reporting requirements and procedures intended to reaffirm the constitutional role of Congress in committing the United States to armed conflict. It has been invoked numerous times since its passage. No president has acknowledged its constitutionality. The last formal congressional declaration of war was issued on June 5, 1942. The operation in Iran has not been designated a war. The terminology remains in effect.

Source Block

• Primary: Newsweek — Thomas Massie reacts to Mike Johnson saying “we are not at war” with Iran, March 6, 2026: https://www.newsweek.com/thomas-massie-reacts-mike-johnson-saying-not-at-war-iran-11635891
• Background — Massie: Wikipedia, Ballotpedia, Roll Call
• Background — Johnson: Wikipedia, Britannica, Louisiana Illuminator
• Internal cross-references:
  • Trump military operation / war terminology: 2026-03-27-trump-military-operation-war-congressional-approval.md
  • Selective Service automatic registration: 2026-04-08-selective-service-automatic-registration-december-draft.md
  • Operation Epic Fury address: 2026-04-02-trump-address-nation-operation-epic-fury-nearing-completion.md

The Selective Service System submitted a proposed rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on March 30, 2026, outlining the implementation of automatic registration for military draft-eligible men, scheduled to begin in December 2026. The rule follows the passage of the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, signed into law by President Trump in December 2025, which mandated automatic enrollment of all male United States citizens and immigrants between the ages of 18 and 25 into the Selective Service System. The agency described the change as transferring responsibility for registration from individual men to the Selective Service System through integration with federal data sources. The agency described the associated staffing adjustments as a workforce realignment.

The legislative effort to automate registration originated in the House Armed Services Committee in May 2024, where language was incorporated into the annual defense authorization bill by Representative Chrissy Houlahan, Democrat of Pennsylvania, who characterised the change as a cost-saving and equity measure. Prior to the change, registration numbers had been declining since the federal student loan application process removed its registration option, which had previously accounted for nearly one quarter of all annual registrations. Men who fail to register face ineligibility for federal programs and possible jail time. The Selective Service System costs approximately $30 million per year to operate. The agency noted that resources previously directed toward public education and advertising campaigns to encourage registration will be redirected toward readiness and mobilization.

The Selective Service System was established in 1917 and used to induct soldiers during the First World War. It was reinstated in 1940, marking the first peacetime draft in United States history, and remained in operation through the Second World War, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The draft ended in 1973 with the transition to an all-volunteer military force. The registration requirement was reinstated in 1980 by President Carter following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. No draft has been called since. The system has not inducted anyone since 1973. The registration requirement has remained continuously in effect for 46 years without activation.

The proposed rule was submitted on March 30, 2026. The United States military operation against Iran, Operation Epic Fury, was in its fifth week on that date. The last formal congressional declaration of war was issued on June 5, 1942, when Congress declared war on Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania during the Second World War. Since that date, the United States has conducted military operations in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran, among other engagements, without a formal declaration of war. Operation Epic Fury has not been designated a war. A ceasefire framework was agreed on April 7, 2026. Thirteen U.S. service members were killed during the operation. Automatic registration for the draft begins in December.

The draft has not been used since 1973.

Source Block

• Primary (2026): Military Times — Automatic registration for US military draft-eligible men to begin in December: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/04/08/automatic-registration-for-us-military-draft-eligible-men-to-begin-in-december/
• Supporting (2024): Military Times — Lawmakers move to automate Selective Service registration for all men: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2024/05/23/lawmakers-move-to-automate-selective-service-registration-for-all-men/
• Declaration of war history: Wikipedia — Declaration of war by the United States: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_war_by_the_United_States
• Screenshot: screenshots/1775752349606_image.png
• Internal cross-references:
  • Trump military operation / war terminology: 2026-03-27-trump-military-operation-war-congressional-approval.md
  • Operation Epic Fury address: 2026-04-02-trump-address-nation-operation-epic-fury-nearing-completion.md
  • Ceasefire / deal framework: 2026-04-07-iran-ceasefire-power-plant-day-deal-framework.md

Power Plant Day concluded without the destruction of Iran’s power plants. A ceasefire framework was agreed on April 7, 2026, brokered by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir. Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi issued a formal declaration on behalf of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, stating that if attacks against Iran are halted, Iran’s armed forces will cease their defensive operations, and that for a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran’s armed forces and with due consideration of technical limitations. The President of the United States subsequently reposted the declaration to Truth Social under the heading OFFICIAL STATEMENT OF IRAN.

The negotiating framework that produced the ceasefire comprised two published proposal documents. The United States submitted a 15-point proposal including: dismantlement of all major nuclear facilities; an end to uranium enrichment on Iranian soil; transfer of enriched uranium stockpiles out of Iran; acceptance of international inspections; permanent renunciation of any nuclear weapons pathway; suspension of ballistic missile development; cessation of long-range missile production; an end to drone transfers and military exports to proxies; severance of support for Hezbollah, Hamas, Iraqi Shiite militias, and the Houthis; full reopening and securing of the Strait of Hormuz; cessation of threats to regional shipping and Gulf states; and acceptance of a broader regional de-escalation framework including limits on military escalation with Israel. Iran submitted a 10-point counterproposal including: a binding guarantee that the United States and its allies will not strike Iran again; a permanent end to hostilities, not a temporary ceasefire; an end to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon; full lifting of United States sanctions; protection for Iran’s regional proxies and allied militias; reopening of the Strait of Hormuz under Iranian conditions; a transit fee of approximately two million dollars per ship, shared with Oman; compensation or reconstruction support for war damage inside Iran; recognition of Iran’s regional security interests; and a broader framework for long-term negotiations without immediate surrender of core strategic capabilities. Amir Tsarfati, the former Israeli Defense Forces major and founder of the evangelical intelligence ministry Behold Israel, observed that both sides understand each other’s positions and yet still agreed to a ceasefire, and that Trump may have blinked first.

Earlier on April 7, before the ceasefire was announced, the President published a post alleging that a statement circulated by CNN purporting to be an official Iranian ceasefire declaration was a fraud, linked to a fake news site from Nigeria and picked up and broadcast by CNN as a legitimate headline. The President stated that authorities are looking to determine whether or not a crime was committed on the issuance of the Fake CNN World Statement, and ordered CNN to immediately withdraw the statement with full apologies. Results of the investigation, the President stated, will be announced in the near future. The President subsequently posted the Araghchi declaration, which he described as the actual Official Statement by Iran.

Following the ceasefire announcement, the President published two additional posts. The first described the day as a big day for World Peace, stated that Iran has had enough, and announced that the United States will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz, that big money will be made, that Iran can start the reconstruction process, and that the United States will be loading up with supplies of all kinds and just hanging around in order to make sure that everything goes well. The President described the outcome as potentially the Golden Age of the Middle East. The second post announced that any country supplying military weapons to Iran will be immediately tariffed at 50 percent on all goods sold to the United States, with no exclusions or exemptions, effective immediately.

A third post stated that the United States will work closely with Iran, which the President described as having gone through what will be a very productive Regime Change. The post stated there will be no enrichment of uranium, and that the United States will work with Iran to dig up and remove all of the deeply buried nuclear material using B-2 bombers, which the President described as Nuclear Dust. The post stated that nothing has been touched from the date of attack, that the United States is talking tariff and sanctions relief with Iran, and that many of the 15 points have already been agreed to. The post closed as follows: “Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

This correspondent notes that the phrase Thank you for your attention to this matter previously appeared in the President’s March 30, 2026 post outlining contingency infrastructure targets in Iran, including electric generating plants, oil wells, Kharg Island, and desalination plants. It subsequently appeared in the Iran Embassy of Zimbabwe’s time change request regarding Power Plant Day. It has now appeared in the President’s ceasefire deal announcement. The power plants were not touched. The gusher remains pending.

Source Block

• Tsarfati / 15 and 10 point demands: https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/74728
• Trump — Iran official statement repost: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116365796713313030
• Trump — CNN fraud allegation: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116366072136989268
• Trump — CNN fraud follow-up: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116366146721038653
• Trump — Big day for World Peace: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116367005523554168
• Trump — 50% tariff on weapons suppliers: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116368738767645698
• Trump — Work closely with Iran / Nuclear Dust / Thank you: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116368825638596650
• Lindsey Graham — Choose wisely (April 4): https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116368854361048135
• Screenshots: screenshots/1775653182794_image.png, screenshots/1775653269660_image.png, screenshots/1775653276601_image.png, screenshots/1775653304914_image.png, screenshots/1775653327628_image.png, screenshots/1775653345170_image.png
• Internal cross-references:
  • Power Plant Day announcement: 2026-04-05-trump-power-plant-day-bridge-day-strait.md
  • Iran responds / time change: 2026-04-05-iran-responds-power-plant-day-time-change.md
  • Gusher post: 2026-04-03-trump-hormuz-gusher-take-the-oil.md
  • Desalination / first “thank you”: 2026-03-30-trump-iran-obliterate-desalination-lovely-stay.md
  • Civilization / TrumpRx: 2026-04-07-trump-civilization-die-tonight-trumprx.md

The President of the United States published two posts to Truth Social on the morning of April 7, 2026, the date designated Power Plant Day and Bridge Day in Iran, with strikes scheduled for 8:00 PM Eastern Time.

The first post, published at approximately 7:20 AM, read as follows: “Two more major pharmaceutical companies to launch products through TrumpRx.” The post linked to a news report confirming that Abbvie and Genentech are expected to become the 10th and 11th drug-making companies to release products at a discounted rate on the TrumpRx portal, joining other companies including AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly. The TrumpRx portal is a federal initiative providing Americans access to prescription medications at reduced prices.

The second post, published eight minutes later at approximately 7:28 AM, read as follows: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!”

This correspondent notes that the second post represents a revision to the President’s previously stated position on regime change in Iran. In his Easter Lunch remarks on April 1, the President stated that regime change was never the stated objective and that the United States obtained it by accident, describing the outcome as accidental on two occasions. The April 7 post describes regime change as Complete and Total. The President has not addressed this terminological adjustment. The power plants are scheduled to be struck at 8:00 PM Eastern. The pharmaceutical discounts are available now.

Source Block

• Primary post 1: Trump Truth Social, April 7, 2026: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116363305441095470
• Primary post 2: Trump Truth Social, April 7, 2026: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116363336033995961
• Screenshot: screenshots/1775565732376_image.png
• Internal cross-references:
  • Power Plant Day / Bridge Day: 2026-04-05-trump-power-plant-day-bridge-day-strait.md
  • Easter monologue / regime change by accident: 2026-04-01-trump-easter-lunch-monologue-iran-nato-venezuela.md
  • Secretary of War Easter greeting: 2026-04-05-hegseth-easter-greeting-secretary-of-war.md

Two Iranian official accounts filed responses on April 5, 2026, to the President of the United States’ announcement that Tuesday will be Power Plant Day and Bridge Day in Iran, with the event scheduled for 8:00 PM Eastern Time.

The first response was filed by @IRTruePromise, a state-aligned X account associated with Iran’s Operation True Promise IV military campaign, which is cited by regional media as a source for Iranian military communications. The account quote-tweeted the President’s post and submitted the following demographic data: that approximately 40 percent of children in the United States are born to unmarried mothers, with rates peaking at 40.7 percent in 2012; that rates vary significantly by state, reaching over 55 percent in Louisiana and Mississippi; and that rates are higher among non-Hispanic Black and American Indian populations. The account appended the following editorial observation: “Audacity to call others ‘Bastards’.” The post received 33,000 likes and 7,200 reposts at time of filing.

The second response was filed by @IRANinZIMBABWE, the verified X account of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Zimbabwe. The account quote-tweeted the President’s 8:00 PM scheduling notice and submitted the following request: “8 P.M. is not that good. Could you change it to between 1 and 2 P.M., or if possible, 1 and 2 A.M.?” The communication closed with the following: “Thank you for your attention to this important matter. I.E.Z.” The post received 49,000 likes and 7,200 reposts at time of filing.

This correspondent notes that the closing phrase employed by the Iran Embassy in Zimbabwe — “Thank you for your attention to this important matter” — is identical to the closing phrase employed by the President of the United States in his March 30, 2026 Truth Social post outlining contingency infrastructure targets in Iran, which listed electric generating plants, oil wells, Kharg Island, and desalination plants, and which closed with “Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP.” The President has not responded to the time change request. The event remains scheduled for Tuesday, 8:00 PM Eastern. The power plants have not yet been touched.

Source Block

• Primary: @IRTruePromise — https://x.com/IRTruePromise/status/2040808132700492068
• Primary: @IRANinZIMBABWE — https://x.com/IRANinZIMBABWE/status/2041063891497632113
• Screenshots: screenshots/1775485592762_image.png, screenshots/1775485640617_image.png
• Internal cross-references:
  • Power Plant Day / Bridge Day: 2026-04-05-trump-power-plant-day-bridge-day-strait.md
  • Desalination / thank you for your attention: 2026-03-30-trump-iran-obliterate-desalination-lovely-stay.md
  • Secretary of War Easter greeting: 2026-04-05-hegseth-easter-greeting-secretary-of-war.md

The Secretary of War of the United States issued an Easter greeting on April 5, 2026, via his official X account, @SecWar. The post read: “The tomb is empty. The promise is fulfilled. Through His sacrifice, we are redeemed. We stand firm in faith, courage, and truth — Happy Easter.” The post was accompanied by an image bearing a cross, the seal of the Department of War, and a citation from Luke 24:6: “He is not here, but is risen.” The post received 75,000 likes and 15,000 reposts at time of filing.

For administrative context, this correspondent notes the following. On September 5, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titled “Restoring the United States Department of War,” which established the Department of War as an official secondary title for the Department of Defense. The order authorised the use of Department of War and Secretary of War in public communications, official correspondence, and non-statutory documents within the executive branch. The stated purpose was to convey a stronger message of readiness and resolve, offensive capabilities, and warrior ethos, replacing a Defense focus with an Offense focus. The legal name of the department remains the Department of Defense. A permanent change requires an act of Congress. The Pentagon began replacing plaques following the order. The website was updated to war.gov. Pete Hegseth, sworn in as Secretary of Defense on January 25, 2025, adopted the title Secretary of War under the order. The department was originally called the War Department upon its creation in 1789, and was renamed the Department of Defense in 1949.

The Secretary of War’s Easter greeting was issued on the same morning the President of the United States published a post to Truth Social announcing that Tuesday will be Power Plant Day and Bridge Day in Iran, and urging Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz or be living in Hell. The President’s post closed with the phrase Praise be to Allah. The President subsequently published a second post confirming the event time as Tuesday, 8:00 PM Eastern. At time of filing, the United States military operation in Iran — Operation Epic Fury — has entered its sixth week. Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed. Three aircraft were struck on Friday, April 3. The operation has not been designated a war.

The tomb is empty. The power plants have not yet been touched.

Source Block

• Primary: Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) — Easter post, April 5, 2026: https://x.com/SecWar/status/2040792660059816136
• Department of War executive order context: Joint Base San Antonio / Duke Law School
• Screenshots: screenshots/1775427764975_image.png, screenshots/1775427831698_image.png
• Internal cross-references:
  • Power Plant Day / Bridge Day: 2026-04-05-trump-power-plant-day-bridge-day-strait.md
  • Easter prayer programme: 2026-04-01-white-house-easter-franklin-graham-paula-white-esther-trump.md
  • Three aircraft struck: 2026-04-03-f15e-shot-down-iran-crew-rescue-operation-epic-fury.md

The President of the United States published two posts to Truth Social on April 5, 2026, pertaining to scheduled infrastructure events in Iran. The first post, published at 8:03 AM, read as follows: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP.” The second post, published at 12:38 PM, provided the following logistical detail: “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!”

For the record, this correspondent notes the relevant context. The President previously outlined contingency infrastructure targets in a March 30 post, which listed electric generating plants, oil wells, Kharg Island, and, with an exclamation point, desalination plants, as targets to be struck if a deal was not reached. In his April 1 primetime address to the nation, the President stated that if no deal is made, the United States has its eyes on key targets and will hit every one of Iran’s electric generating plants very hard, and probably simultaneously. On April 3, the President described the Strait of Hormuz as a potential gusher for the world, stating that with a little more time the United States can easily open it and take the oil. The Hormuz condition — the opening of the strait — has appeared in each of the President’s major communications on the subject since April 1. The strait remains closed.

The April 5 posts constitute the first public announcement of a scheduled date and time for the strikes. Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 8:00 PM Eastern Time, has been designated Power Plant Day and Bridge Day in Iran. The posts received a combined 56,600 likes and 13,300 ReTruths on Truth Social at time of filing. The President closed the first post with the phrase “Praise be to Allah.” This is a transliteration of the Arabic phrase Allahu Akbar, or a variant thereof, which is a common expression in Islamic devotional practice. The President’s own spiritual advisor, Paula White, described the President at the April 1 White House Easter Lunch as the greatest champion of faith that we have ever seen in a president. Franklin Graham, also present at that lunch, characterised the operation in Iran as a divinely ordained mission. Neither White nor Graham has commented on the closing phrase.

The event is scheduled for Tuesday. The power plants have not yet been touched.

Source Block

• Primary: Trump Truth Social posts, April 5, 2026 — 8:03 AM and 12:38 PM
• Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump
• Screenshots: screenshots/1000002182.png, screenshots/1000002183.png
• Internal cross-references:
  • Desalination / contingency targets: 2026-03-30-trump-iran-obliterate-desalination-lovely-stay.md
  • Operation Epic Fury address: 2026-04-02-trump-address-nation-operation-epic-fury-nearing-completion.md
  • Gusher post: 2026-04-03-trump-hormuz-gusher-take-the-oil.md
  • Easter prayer programme: 2026-04-01-white-house-easter-franklin-graham-paula-white-esther-trump.md

The Dispatch

Three United States military aircraft were struck by Iranian forces on Friday, April 3, 2026, in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz and southwestern Iran. This correspondent files the following status update as of late afternoon Eastern time.

The first aircraft struck was a United States Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle, a two-seat platform crewed by a pilot and a weapons systems officer, assigned to the 494th Fighter Squadron of the 48th Fighter Wing based at Royal Air Force Lakenheath in Suffolk, England. The IRGC claimed responsibility for the downing, stating the aircraft was shot down over the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province in southwestern Iran. Analysis of wreckage photographs by weapons experts confirmed the debris consistent with an F-15E. One crew member was located and rescued by United States special forces on Iranian territory and is alive and receiving medical treatment. The search for the second crew member is ongoing. Israel cancelled planned strikes in Iran in areas relevant to the rescue effort and is providing intelligence assistance to locate the remaining crew member.

A second aircraft, a United States Air Force A-10 Warthog ground-attack aircraft, was also struck by Iranian forces on Friday near the Strait of Hormuz. The A-10 carries a single pilot. The pilot was rescued and is accounted for and safe, government officials told Newsmax. Circumstances of the A-10 incident remain limited at time of filing.

A third aircraft, a United States Army Black Hawk helicopter, was struck by Iranian fire during the search and rescue operation for the F-15E crew. The Black Hawk was able to exit Iranian territory and land safely. All crew members aboard the Black Hawk are accounted for and safe, government officials told Newsmax.

In connection with the F-15E downing, Iranian state television broadcast an instruction to civilians in southwestern Iran to locate the downed pilots and hand them over to police, with a reward offered for delivery alive. A separate on-screen crawl on the same broadcast urged civilians to shoot them if you see them, referring to footage of United States aircraft operating in the area. The Iranian armed forces simultaneously issued a statement calling on the public not to mistreat the pilot. All three instructions were in circulation on Friday afternoon. The fate of the second F-15E crew member has not been confirmed.

This correspondent notes that on Wednesday evening, April 1, the President stated in his primetime address to the nation that Iran has no anti-aircraft equipment, that its radar is one hundred percent annihilated, and that the United States is unstoppable as a military force. Defense Secretary Hegseth had similarly stated that the United States had achieved dominance of the Iranian skies. The United States military has conducted more than 13,000 combat flights over Iran since February 28. Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed during the operation. Three F-15Es were previously lost in a friendly fire incident involving Kuwaiti air defenses early in the campaign, with no casualties. Friday’s downing marks the first confirmed instance of a United States aircraft being shot down by Iranian forces during the conflict. The operation has not been designated a war.

This correspondent further notes that at 8:22 AM on the morning of April 3, several hours before the first aircraft was reported struck, the President published a post to Truth Social stating that with a little more time, the United States can easily open the Hormuz Strait, take the oil, and make a fortune, describing the prospect as a “GUSHER” for the world. The post has not been amended. The search for the second F-15E crew member is ongoing.

Source Block

• Primary: Axios — US fighter jet shot down: https://www.axios.com/2026/04/03/iran-us-fighter-shot-down
• CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/american-fighter-jet-f15e-downed-over-iran/
• Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/04/03/f-15-crash-iran-missing/
• The War Zone: https://www.twz.com/air/photos-of-f-15e-wreckage-emerge-amid-iranian-claims-it-shot-down-an-american-fighter
• Washington Times (bounty/shoot instruction): https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/apr/3/iran-says-downed-american-fighter-jet-us-reportedly-mounting-rescue/
• A-10 / Black Hawk: Disclose.tv via Newsmax — https://www.disclose.tv/id/6yynuihai8/
• NYT live updates: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/04/03/world/iran-war-trump-oil
• Screenshots: screenshots/1775244391179_image.png, screenshots/1775244409714_image.png, screenshots/1775245369539_image.png, screenshots/1775245390917_image.png, screenshots/1775245470985_image.png
• Internal cross-references:
  • Gusher post: 2026-04-03-trump-hormuz-gusher-take-the-oil.md
  • Operation Epic Fury address: 2026-04-02-trump-address-nation-operation-epic-fury-nearing-completion.md

The President of the United States published an update to his position on the Strait of Hormuz on April 3, 2026, at 8:22 AM. The post read as follows: “With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE. IT WOULD BE A ‘GUSHER’ FOR THE WORLD???” The post was signed President DONALD J. TRUMP.

For the purposes of administrative record, this correspondent notes the progression of the President’s Hormuz positions over the preceding 72 hours. On April 1, the President posted that he would consider Iran’s ceasefire request once the Hormuz Strait was open, free, and clear, and that until that condition was met, the United States would be blasting Iran back to the Stone Ages. That evening, in his primetime address to the nation, the President urged other countries to build up some delayed courage and go take the strait themselves, as China, Japan, South Korea, France, and other nations receive the majority of their oil through it and should be responsible for its security. On April 2, the President posted video of Iran’s largest bridge being destroyed and stated that it is time for Iran to make a deal before it is too late and there is nothing left of what could still become a great country. On April 3, the President posted that with a little more time, the United States can easily open the strait, take the oil, and make a fortune.

The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed to commercial shipping since early in the conflict, contributing to a 25 percent increase in United States gasoline prices, which the President described in his Easter Lunch remarks as a short-term increase and a true investment in the nation’s children’s future. The President said at those same remarks that the United States now controls 59 percent of the world’s oil supply as a result of the Iran operation and a prior military action in Venezuela. He said he would prefer to simply take Iran’s oil but acknowledged that the American public lacks the patience for an extended occupation. The April 3 post does not reference that assessment.

The Hormuz Strait condition remains in effect. The gusher has not yet materialised.

Source Block

• Primary: Trump Truth Social post, April 3, 2026: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116340751005894827
• Amplified by: NoLimitGains https://x.com/NoLimitGains/status/2040044161122832627
• Via: Amir Tsarfati Telegram @beholdisraelchannel: https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/74406
• Via: Going Underground RT: https://t.me/goingundergroundRT/6528
• Screenshots: screenshots/1775220470355_image.png, screenshots/1775220481628_image.png, screenshots/1775220523302_image.png
• Internal cross-references:
  • Ceasefire / Hormuz piece: 2026-04-01-trump-iran-ceasefire-request-hormuz-wall-street.md
  • Operation Epic Fury address: 2026-04-02-trump-address-nation-operation-epic-fury-nearing-completion.md
  • Easter monologue: 2026-04-01-trump-easter-lunch-monologue-iran-nato-venezuela.md

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps conducted a series of strikes on Thursday, April 2, 2026, targeting technology infrastructure, military assets, and transportation facilities across multiple countries. The strikes were described by Iranian state media as retaliation for the ongoing United States and Israeli military operation against Iran, which entered its second month in late March.

The IRGC attacked Oracle Corporation’s data center in Dubai, according to Iranian state media. Earlier on Thursday, the IRGC struck an Amazon cloud computing centre in Bahrain, citing retaliation for attacks on Iran, according to the Iranian Students’ News Agency. The Amazon facility in Bahrain had been damaged in a previous Iranian strike on Wednesday; Bahrain’s Interior Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that civil defense teams were extinguishing a fire at a company facility following what authorities described as an Iranian attack. Two drones targeted a United States diplomatic facility near Baghdad Airport in Iraq, according to security sources. Drone attacks were also conducted against United States fighter jets at Jordan’s Al Azraq air base, according to Iran’s Mehr News Agency. A drone crashed at Iraq’s Trebil border crossing with Jordan, damaging customs clearance offices. The Islamic Republic’s semi-official Fars News Agency published a list of potential military targets on Thursday that included bridges in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, and Jordan. Bahrain’s Foreign Minister told the United Nations Security Council on Thursday that he hopes for a vote on Friday on a resolution to protect commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed.

At 12:37 PM on April 2, the President of the United States published a video to Truth Social showing the destruction of a bridge in Iran. “The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again — Much more to follow,” the President wrote. “IT IS TIME FOR IRAN TO MAKE A DEAL BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, AND THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF WHAT STILL COULD BECOME A GREAT COUNTRY.” The post was signed President DONALD J. TRUMP. The post was published approximately fifteen hours after the President’s primetime address to the nation, in which he stated that the United States’ strategic objectives in Iran are nearing completion and that two to three additional weeks of strikes are planned. The ceasefire condition — the opening of the Strait of Hormuz — was not referenced in the post. Iran has named its own military operation Operation Roaring Lion.

This correspondent notes, for purposes of administrative completeness, that Oracle Corporation announced layoffs of several thousand employees in the weeks preceding the IRGC’s attack on its Dubai data center. The circumstances of those layoffs were reported in a prior dispatch. Oracle has not commented on the status of the Dubai facility. Amazon has not commented on the status of the Bahrain facility. The bridge has been confirmed as tumbling down.

Source Block

• Primary: Jerusalem Post — IRGC attacks Dubai Oracle data center, April 2, 2026: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-891951
• Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-891951
• Trump Truth Social post: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116336091138489301
• Screenshots: screenshots/1775160459066_image.png, screenshots/1775160469965_image.png, screenshots/1775160610098_image.png
• Internal cross-references:
  • Oracle layoffs / IRGC target list piece: 2026-03-31-oracle-layoffs-6am-irgc-target-list-ai.md
  • Ceasefire / Hormuz piece: 2026-04-01-trump-iran-ceasefire-request-hormuz-wall-street.md
  • Operation Epic Fury address: 2026-04-02-trump-address-nation-operation-epic-fury-nearing-completion.md

Paula White, spiritual advisor to the President of the United States and director of the White House Faith Office, attracted public attention in January 2020 for a prayer delivered at a church event in which she called for all satanic pregnancies to miscarry. The prayer was delivered in full as follows: “In the name of Jesus, we command all satanic pregnancies to miscarry right now. We declare that anything that has been conceived in satanic wombs will miscarry, it will not be able to carry forth any plan of destruction, any plan of harm.”

White subsequently clarified that the comment had been taken out of context. She stated that she had been praying against the fulfilment of demonic plans in people’s lives, with reference to Ephesians 6:12, a biblical passage concerning spiritual warfare rather than physical pregnancy. “Anything that has been conceived by demonic plans, for it to be canceled and not prevail in your life,” White said in her clarification. She added: “That is — any plans to hurt people.” The clarification was issued via Twitter. The original prayer was not retracted.

Jesuit priest and America Magazine editor James Martin SJ responded to the original prayer by stating that no pregnancies are satanic, that every child is a gift from God, and that no one should ever pray for any woman to miscarry. White did not respond to Father Martin’s statement directly. White described the broader controversy as a disingenuous attempt to use words out of context for political gain, and stated that she would keep praying.

On April 1, 2026, White delivered the opening prayer at the White House Easter Lunch, an event attended by the President, the Vice President, cabinet members, and six additional members of the clergy. At that event, White conveyed what she described as a message from the Holy Spirit indicating that the President will be victorious in all that he puts his hands to. She did not reference the 2020 prayer during her remarks. The assembled guests laid hands on the President. The lunch continued.

Source Block

• Primary: Christian Today — Paula White explains satanic pregnancies prayer: https://www.christiantoday.com/news/paula-white-says-satanic-pregnancies-comment-was-taken-out-of-context
• Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://www.christiantoday.com/news/paula-white-says-satanic-pregnancies-comment-was-taken-out-of-context
• Screenshot: screenshots/paula-white-satanic-pregnancies.png
• Internal cross-reference: Easter prayer programme piece

The White House Easter Lunch held on April 1, 2026 featured a formal spiritual programme comprising seven prayers delivered by six named clergy and one unidentified pastor. The event was attended by cabinet members, faith leaders, and the President of the United States. Remarks by the President preceded the prayers. The programme was organised by the White House Faith Office, which the President noted had not previously existed.

Spiritual advisor Paula White opened the prayer portion of the event by conveying what she described as a message from the Holy Spirit. White told the President that the Holy Spirit had directed her to express gratitude on behalf of God. She characterised the President as the greatest champion of faith that we have ever seen in a president. She then drew parallels between the President’s trials and those of Jesus Christ. “Mr. President, no one has paid the price like you have paid the price,” White said. “It almost cost you your life. You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. It’s a familiar pattern that our Lord and Savior showed us.” White added that God had communicated a further message for the President: that because of Jesus Christ’s victory in resurrection, the President will be victorious in all that he puts his hands to. She did not specify the medium through which this communication was received. She then led the assembled guests in laying hands on the President.

Evangelist Franklin Graham, son of the late Reverend Billy Graham and president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, delivered the second prayer. Graham opened with a reference to the Book of Esther, a text from the Hebrew Bible in which the Persian king’s advisor Haman plots to kill the Jewish people and is ultimately defeated through the intercession of Queen Esther. “Father, you tell us in the Book of Esther that the Persians — the Iranians — were wanting to kill every Jew, woman, child, and do it all in one day,” Graham said. “But you raised up Esther to save the Jewish people. Today, the Iranians — the wicked regime of this government — wants to kill every Jew and destroy them with an atomic fire, but you have raised up President Trump.” Graham prayed for victory for the President, protection for the military, and freedom for the people of Iran, whom he described as seeking to be set free from what he called Islamic lunatics. He closed in the name of Jesus Christ.

Further prayers were delivered by Pastor Marilyn Rivera, who prayed for unity and protection; Bishop Robert Barron, who prayed for the President to be given grace, courage, wisdom, and prudence; an unidentified pastor who reported having just returned from Venezuela, where he said 10,000 pastors had gathered and the fire of God fell on that place, which he attributed in part to the President’s military action in that country; Ralph Reed, chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, who thanked God for causing the President to turn his head at the correct moment in Butler, Pennsylvania in July 2024, and for causing an agent to observe a rifle barrel at the President’s golf club, and who prayed specifically for the Iran conflict; and Pastor Robert Jeffress, who stated that he had told the President in January 2016 that God had appointed him to the presidency, and who characterised the current political situation as a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan.

The United States military operation against Iran, Operation Epic Fury, entered its second month during the week of the Easter Lunch. The operation has been framed by the White House as necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. The Director of National Intelligence assessed last year that Iran is not currently seeking to build one. The Book of Esther does not address nuclear weapons. Bible sales are currently at their highest level in many decades, according to figures cited by the President during his preceding remarks. Church attendance among young people has nearly doubled compared to five years ago.

God has not issued a statement.

The President of the United States delivered remarks at the White House Easter Lunch on April 1, 2026, prior to the event’s formal spiritual programme. The remarks were unscripted and covered multiple subjects. The full transcript runs to approximately 10,000 words. This correspondent has filed a summary of the principal items of note.

On Iran: the President stated that the military operation is winding up, with a few more hits required. He said the United States has blown up most of Iran’s thousands of ballistic missiles and that Iranian fire at American and allied targets has been decreasing weekly. He said the United States is now controlling 59 percent of the world’s oil supply, which he described as a combined result of the Iran operation and a prior military action in Venezuela, which he said was won in 45 minutes and is now operating as a joint venture. He said he would prefer to simply take Iran’s oil but acknowledged that the American public lacks the patience for an extended occupation. On the question of regime change, the President clarified that it was never the stated objective. “We got it by accident,” he said. He described the current Iranian government as the third regime to have emerged during the operation, following the elimination of the first regime’s leadership and the subsequent targeting of the 88-member council convened to select a replacement while they were in the process of voting. He said the third regime is much less radical. He said he would be addressing the nation on the subject at 9:00 that evening to tell everybody how great he is and what a great job he has done. He also stated that without him, Israel would not exist, and that the Middle East would not exist, and that there would have been a nuclear weapon.

On NATO: the President stated that the alliance is a paper tiger. He said he had asked member states to contribute forces to the Iran operation to test their response, not because he needed them. He described France’s President Macron, whose wife treats him extremely badly, as having declined to send ships until after the war was won, which the President noted was not useful. He said the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister said he needed to ask his team and would meet the following week, by which point the President said the war would be over. He said he is considering withdrawing the United States from the alliance. He noted that King Charles is visiting in two weeks and is a nice guy but was not among the most helpful allies. He said NATO will not be there if we ever have the big one, adding that his relationships with the big one are better than with NATO. He did not elaborate on the big one.

On domestic matters: the President reported that Somali immigrants in Minnesota had stolen 19 billion dollars through fraudulent daycare centres, that autism payments in that state had risen from under one million dollars to over 400 million dollars in four years, that the Department of Education has been largely returned to the states, that a judge had blocked construction of a $300 to $400 million White House ballroom depending on the marble selected, that transgender athletes had broken weightlifting records by 111 pounds and won marathons by five hours and 14 minutes, and that Bible sales are at their highest level in many decades. He said he is inviting all Americans to the National Mall on May 17th for a day of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving.

The President noted that he refrains from profanity when Franklin Graham is in the room. Graham was in the room. The President did not use profanity during the remarks. The ballroom remains under construction.

Source Block

• Primary: Roll Call / Factbase — Full transcript, Easter Lunch White House, April 1, 2026: https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-remarks-easter-lunch-white-house-april-1-2026/
• Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/transcript/donald-trump-remarks-easter-lunch-white-house-april-1-2026/
• Screenshots: screenshots/1775136142949_image.png, screenshots/1775136173417_image.png, screenshots/1775136193237_image.png
• Internal cross-references:
  • Easter prayer programme: 2026-04-01-white-house-easter-franklin-graham-paula-white-esther-trump.md
  • Easter Israel clarification: 2026-04-01-trump-easter-lunch-israel.md
  • Operation Epic Fury address: 2026-04-02-trump-address-nation-operation-epic-fury-nearing-completion.md

The President of the United States held an Easter Lunch event at the White House on April 1, 2026. Remarks were delivered. During those remarks, the President addressed the question of Israel’s existence. “If you didn’t have me, you wouldn’t have Israel,” the President said. The lunch continued.

Source Block

• Via: The Conspiracy Hole (video clip)
• Screenshot: screenshots/1775093760344_image.png

The President of the United States delivered a primetime address to the nation on the evening of April 1, 2026, providing what the White House described as an important update on Operation Epic Fury, the military campaign against Iran launched jointly with Israel on February 28. It was the President’s first formal address to the nation since the operation began. The address was delivered approximately twelve hours after the President posted to Truth Social that Iran’s new regime president had requested a ceasefire — a claim denied by a spokesperson for Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who said Iran was determined to fight on.

The President opened by stating that in the past four weeks, United States armed forces had delivered swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield. He said Iran’s navy is gone, its air force is in ruins, most of its leaders are dead, and its ability to launch missiles and drones has been dramatically curtailed. He said weapons factories and rocket launchers are being blown to pieces, with very few of them left. He said the United States military has struck 12,300 targets and damaged or destroyed 155 Iranian vessels since February 28, according to US Central Command. He said the United States is winning bigger than ever before.

The President stated that the war’s core strategic objectives are nearing completion. Those objectives, as enumerated by the White House, are: obliterating Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal and production capability, annihilating its navy, severing its support for regional proxy groups, and ensuring Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon. He reiterated that the war is necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. His own Director of National Intelligence acknowledged last year that Iran is not currently seeking to build one. The President stated there would have been no Middle East and no Israel without his withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear accord, which required Iran to scale back its nuclear programme under international monitoring. Iran has maintained that its nuclear activities are peaceful.

The President stated that the United States will continue hitting Iran extremely hard over the next two to three weeks, and will take them back to the stone ages where they belong. He warned that if no deal is reached during that period, the United States has its eyes on key targets and will hit every one of Iran’s electric generating plants, very hard, and probably simultaneously. He stated that regime change was never the United States’ goal, but that regime change has occurred because of their original leader’s death. He stated that the conflict represents a true investment in your children and your grandchildren’s future. He stated that the whole world is watching and cannot believe what it is seeing. He acknowledged that gasoline prices have risen by more than 25 percent since the war began, and attributed the increase entirely to deranged Iranian terror attacks on commercial oil tankers. He described this price increase as short-term.

On the Strait of Hormuz, the President urged other countries to build up some delayed courage and go to the strait and just take it, protect it. Earlier in the same week, the President had established the strait’s reopening as the condition for considering Iran’s ceasefire request. The President did not address this condition during the address. He closed by stating that the United States is on the cusp of ending Iran’s sinister threat to America and the world. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed.

Source Block

• Primary: Al Jazeera liveblog — Iran war live, April 2, 2026: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/4/2/iran-war-live-trump-to-address-nation-tehran-denies-seeking-ceasefire
• Supporting: CNN live updates: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/01/world/live-news/iran-war-us-trump-oil
• Supporting: NPR: https://www.npr.org/2026/04/01/nx-s1-5769805/iran-war-trump
• White House objectives summary: https://www.whitehouse.gov/releases/2026/04/president-trumps-clear-and-unchanging-objectives-drive-decisive-success-against-iranian-regime/
• PBS — Trump’s original Iran address (Feb 28): https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/read-trumps-full-statement-on-iran-attack
• Screenshots: screenshots/1775093521845_image.png, screenshots/1775093588077_image.png, screenshots/1775093605378_image.png, screenshots/1775093615580_image.png, screenshots/1775093624874_image.png
• Internal cross-references:
  • Ceasefire / Wall Street piece
  • Pezeshkian open letter
  • Desalination / contingency targets

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian published an open letter to the people of the United States on April 1, 2026, via PressTV, the English-language Iranian state broadcasting network. The letter was published at 6:32 PM local time. It is addressed to the American people and to all those who, as the letter states, amid a flood of distortions and manufactured narratives, continue to seek the truth and aspire to a better life. The letter opens with the phrase: In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

The letter traces the history of US-Iran relations from the 1953 coup — described as an illegal American intervention aimed at preventing the nationalization of Iran’s own resources — through America’s support for Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, the imposition of sanctions, and the current military operation. Pezeshkian states that Iran has never, in its modern history, initiated a war. He states that Iran pursued negotiations, reached an agreement, and fulfilled all its commitments, and that the decision to withdraw from that agreement and launch military action were choices made by the U.S. government. He states that attacks on Iran’s energy and industrial infrastructure constitute a war crime. He states that the Iranian people harbor no enmity toward ordinary Americans. He states that Iran, throughout its millennia of proud history, has outlasted many aggressors, and that all that remains of them are tarnished names in history.

The letter poses a number of questions for the American people. Pezeshkian asks whether the United States has entered the conflict as a proxy for Israel. He asks whether Israel manufactured the Iranian threat to divert attention from its actions toward Palestinians. He asks whether Israel now aims to fight Iran to the last American soldier and the last American taxpayer dollar. He asks whether America First is truly among the priorities of the U.S. government today. The letter does not provide answers to these questions. The letter invites Americans to speak with those who have visited Iran and to observe accomplished Iranian immigrants who contribute to universities and technology firms in the West.

This correspondent notes, for purposes of administrative completeness, that earlier on April 1, 2026, the President of the United States published a post to Truth Social reporting that Iran’s new regime president had requested a ceasefire. The President described Iran’s new regime president as much less radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors. The President stated the United States would consider the ceasefire request when the Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. The open letter published by Pezeshkian does not reference the ceasefire request. The Truth Social post does not reference the open letter. Both documents were published on the same day.

The Hormuz Strait condition remains in effect.

Source Block

• Primary: PressTV — Pezeshkian open letter to American people, April 1, 2026: https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2026/04/01/766191/pezeshkian-letter-American-people
• Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2026/04/01/766191/pezeshkian-letter-American-people
• Screenshot: screenshots/1775079448356_image.png
• Internal cross-references:
  • Ceasefire / Wall Street piece: 
  • Desalination / contingency targets piece

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on March 19, 2026, designating SARS-CoV-2 variant BA.3.2 as a variant under monitoring. The variant has been assigned the informal designation Cicada. It was first identified in South Africa in November 2024, remained at low levels of detection for approximately twelve months, and has since been identified in rising numbers across multiple countries. As of February 11, 2026, the most recent date for which complete CDC data is available, BA.3.2 has been detected in 132 wastewater surveillance sites across at least 25 states, in nasal swab samples from four international travelers, in three airplane wastewater samples, and in clinical samples from five patients. The variant has been identified in at least 23 countries. The World Health Organization listed it as a variant of monitoring on February 23, 2026.

BA.3.2 carries approximately 70 to 75 substitutions and deletions in its spike protein gene, compared to 30 to 40 in predecessor variants JN.1 and LP.8.1, which served as the basis for the 2025-2026 vaccine formulation. The CDC has assessed the variant as having immune escape potential — meaning antibodies produced by prior infection or current vaccines show reduced neutralization effectiveness in laboratory conditions. The variant is part of the Omicron lineage. No evidence has emerged that it causes more severe disease or higher mortality than other recent Omicron subvariants. Symptoms are consistent with standard COVID-19 presentation and are not clinically distinguishable from influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, or the common cold without testing. The CDC has not changed its core recommendations. Antivirals are expected to remain effective.

As of the week ending March 21, 2026, BA.3.2 was detected in approximately 11 percent of national wastewater samples, according to CDC monitoring data. WastewaterSCAN, a disease-tracking program operated by Stanford University, reported detection in 3.7 percent of its samples as of March 14. The dominant circulating strain in the United States remains XFG, which accounts for approximately 53 percent of samples. BA.3.2 has not yet reached a proportion sufficient for inclusion in the CDC’s variant proportion tracker. In Northern Europe, the variant reached approximately 30 percent of sequenced cases in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands during the late 2025 to early 2026 period. Overall COVID incidence in those countries was not reported as dramatically elevated relative to prior periods. The first U.S. detection occurred in June 2025, via a traveler arriving from the Netherlands at San Francisco International Airport. The first confirmed U.S. clinical patient sample was collected in January 2026. National prevalence in sequenced samples from December 2025 through February 2026 was approximately 0.19 percent.

The CDC’s wastewater surveillance program, which detected the variant’s presence across 132 monitoring sites in 25 states, operates by collecting samples from sewage, industrial discharge, and stormwater systems. It is the primary mechanism by which BA.3.2 has been tracked in the United States, given the reduction in formal clinical testing since the acute phase of the pandemic. The CDC is classified as a variant-under-monitoring designation, which indicates the agency is tracking the variant but has not assessed it as a variant of interest or a variant of concern. A reformulated vaccine targeting fall 2026 circulation is under development. Surveillance continues.

Source Block

• Primary: CDC MMWR — BA.3.2 Variant Under Monitoring Report, March 19, 2026: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/75/wr/mm7511a3.htm
• Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/75/wr/mm7511a3.htm
• Northeastern University: https://news.northeastern.edu/2026/03/27/new-covid-19-cicada-variant/
• PBS NewsHour: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/what-we-know-about-the-new-cicada-covid-19-variant
• NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/flu-rsv-covid-cicada-virus-2026-symptoms-signs-rcna265906
• Screenshots: screenshots/1775078285251_image.png, screenshots/1775078294053_image.png

The President of the United States has reported that Iran’s new regime president has requested a ceasefire. The update was published to Truth Social at 8:50 AM on April 1, 2026, and signed “President DJT.” The President described Iran’s new regime president as much less radicalized and far more intelligent than his predecessors. The President indicated the United States will consider the ceasefire request when the Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until that condition is met, the President stated, the United States will be blasting Iran into oblivion or, as he characterised it, back to the Stone Ages.

The Hormuz Strait condition was previously established. On March 30, 2026, the President issued a diplomatic update outlining contingency infrastructure targets in the event a deal was not reached and the strait remained closed. Those targets included electric generating plants, oil wells, Kharg Island, and, with an exclamation point, desalination plants. That post closed with “Thank you for your attention to this matter.” The Hormuz Strait condition has not changed. The desalination plants have not yet been touched.

Amir Tsarfati, a former Israeli Defense Forces major and founder of the evangelical intelligence ministry Behold Israel, filed commentary on the post from his Telegram channel at 8:57 AM. Tsarfati noted that the President published his update minutes before the opening of Wall Street. Tsarfati further observed that whether Iran’s president had actually requested a ceasefire was not entirely certain, adding “But who cares?” Tsarfati assessed the strategic objective as follows: the United States requires oil, and degrading Iran’s capabilities to dust while bringing prices down serves that objective simultaneously. Wall Street opened at 9:30 AM Eastern. Oil prices were not reported in this dispatch.

This correspondent notes, for purposes of administrative completeness, that the President’s characterisation of Iran’s new regime president as far more intelligent than his predecessors refers to a government that came to power during the current military operation. The previous regime, against which the operation was initiated, is no longer in office. The new regime has now requested a ceasefire. The President has described this as a positive development and has also described his current course of action as blasting them back to the Stone Ages. Both characterisations were published in the same post.

The Hormuz Strait condition remains in effect.

Source Block

• Primary: Trump Truth Social post — https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116329512466946656
• Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116329512466946656
• Secondary: Amir Tsarfati — Telegram @beholdisraelchannel — https://t.me/beholdisraelchannel/74319
• Screenshots: screenshots/1775054503040_image.png, screenshots/1775054549777_image.png
• Internal cross-references:
  • Desalination / contingency targets piece
  • Canned fish / Tsarfati piece

The Dispatch

The Virginia General Assembly has passed House Bill 333, establishing curriculum standards for any public school instruction on the events of January 6, 2021 at the United States Capitol. The bill passed the House 63 to 35 and the Senate 21 to 19, on largely party-line votes. Governor Abigail Spanberger is expected to sign it. It would be the first state law of its kind in the United States. Donna Phillips, head of the Center for Civic Education, confirmed this assessment.

The bill does not require any Virginia school to teach about January 6. No district is compelled to include a lesson, unit, or classroom discussion on the subject. However, if a school board elects to provide such instruction, the bill imposes the following requirements. The instruction must not describe any portion of the events as a peaceful protest or peaceful demonstration. The instruction must not present as credible the claim that extensive election fraud in the 2020 presidential election could have changed or did change the outcome. The instruction must describe the events as an unprecedented, violent attack on United States democratic institutions, infrastructure, and representatives for the purpose of overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election. These requirements apply to any teacher who chooses to address the subject. The bill carries no penalty clause, no dedicated complaint process, and no funding for curriculum development or teacher training. The fiscal impact to the state is assessed as none. Local impact is listed as indeterminate. The Virginia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union declined to comment.

The bill’s sponsor, Delegate Dan Helmer of Fairfax, stated that HB333 is a direct response to a webpage published by the White House on January 6, 2026, the fifth anniversary of the attack, which described the events as a peaceful march, attributed the violence to law enforcement, accused then-Vice President Mike Pence of cowardice and sabotage, and found no wrongdoing on the part of President Trump. Fact-checkers and news organisations identified multiple false claims on that page. Helmer described the bill as a preventative measure against what he characterised as a White House disinformation campaign. Republican Delegate Tom Garrett of Buckingham characterised the bill as telling legislators what they are not allowed to say and what they must say, and compared the measure to tactics employed by Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. The bill passed. The whitehouse.gov page has not been amended.

This correspondent further notes, for purposes of administrative completeness, that forty-six individuals who were present at the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021 filed a class-action lawsuit in Florida on March 30, 2026, seeking 18.4 million dollars in damages from the Capitol Police and DC Metropolitan Police Department, alleging excessive force. Their complaint states that no one intentionally harmed any officers. Several named plaintiffs were previously convicted of assaulting the officers they are now suing, and were subsequently pardoned by President Trump. Virginia’s curriculum standards, if signed into law, would require that any classroom instruction on January 6 describe the event as a violent attack. The lawsuit describes it as a peaceful protest. Both documents are a matter of public record.

The Governor’s office has indicated she will review all legislation that comes to her desk.

Source Block

• Primary: Virginia Mercury — Bill to require factual teaching about U.S. Capitol attack clears Va. General Assembly
• Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://virginiamercury.com/2026/03/04/bill-to-require-factual-teaching-about-u-s-capitol-attack-clears-va-general-assembly/
• Bill text (LegiScan): https://legiscan.com/VA/bill/HB333/2026
• Detroit News: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/nation/2026/03/06/teaching-jan-6-virginia-bill/89017088007/
• Screenshot: screenshots/Screenshot_2026-04-01_081201.png
• Internal cross-reference: Jan 6 rioters lawsuit piece — 2026-03-31 (pending slug)

The Kentucky General Assembly has introduced Senate Resolution 204 and House Resolution 132, recommending that a permanent statue of United States Senator Mitch McConnell be placed in the New State Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort, currently undergoing a 300 million dollar renovation. Senate President Robert Stivers filed the resolution, describing McConnell as the most influential Kentuckian in the last century or, possibly, the history of the state. McConnell, 84, served as United States Senator from Kentucky from 1985 until his retirement and became the longest-serving Senate party leader in American history. The resolution does not carry the force of law. It is intended, per its sponsor, to start the discussion.

The proposal has received mixed reviews. Donald Trump Jr. responded to the statue resolution on X with the following assessment: “It belongs in Kiev, not Kentucky.” This is a geographic recommendation, not an endorsement. President Donald Trump has not publicly commented on the Kentucky statue specifically, though his views on Senator McConnell are a matter of extensive public record. The President has previously described McConnell as a “political hack,” referred to him as “Old Crow,” accused him of “getting NOTHING done,” and stated that McConnell had “betrayed” him following January 6, 2021, when the Senator described Trump as “practically and morally responsible” for the attack on the Capitol before voting to acquit him. The relationship between the two men has been described by both parties as not warm. Senator McConnell did not seek reelection.

The Kentucky General Assembly has not passed legislation making Juneteenth a state holiday. Juneteenth, which commemorates the effective end of slavery in the United States on June 19, 1865, became a federal holiday in 2021. As of this filing, Kentucky is among the states that have not enacted Juneteenth as an official state holiday. Governor Andy Beshear has publicly described the simultaneous advancement of the McConnell statue resolution and the absence of Juneteenth legislation as wrong. He suggested that a more fitting subject for commemoration might be General Charles Young.

This correspondent notes the following regarding General Charles Young. Charles Young was born into slavery on March 12, 1864, in Mays Lick, Kentucky. His father escaped enslavement in 1865 and enlisted in the United States Colored Heavy Artillery. Young became the third Black graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1889. He was the first Black national park superintendent, overseeing Sequoia National Park in 1903. He was the first Black military attache. He was the first Black man to achieve the rank of colonel in the United States Army. He was passed over for promotion to brigadier general in 1917, despite his distinguished record, because White officers declined to serve under a Black superior. The Secretary of War medically retired him instead. To demonstrate his fitness for active duty, Young rode 500 miles on horseback from Wilberforce, Ohio, to Washington DC. The Secretary of War did not reverse the decision. Young died in Nigeria in 1922. He was buried with full military honours at Arlington National Cemetery. In 2022 — one hundred years after his death — he was posthumously promoted to brigadier general. Governor Beshear had initiated Kentucky’s request for this promotion in 2020. Neither President Trump nor Donald Trump Jr. has publicly commented on General Young.

The New State Capitol Rotunda currently contains statues of Abraham Lincoln, Henry Clay, Alben Barkley, and Dr. Ephraim McDowell. There is also a vacant corner where a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis stood until Governor Beshear requested its removal in 2020. The General Assembly has final say over permanent displays in the space. Senate Resolution 204 is in committee. Juneteenth is not on the legislative calendar. General Young does not currently have a statue in the Kentucky Capitol. These are the facts as filed.

Source Block

Primary source: Governor Andy Beshear — Facebook post (screenshot on file) Screenshot on file: screenshots/beshear-mitch-statue-juneteenth.png

Supporting sources:

• Kentucky Lantern / Yahoo News — McConnell statue resolution: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/kentucky-republican-calls-mcconnell-statue-222905216.html
• LegiScan — SR204 text: https://legiscan.com/KY/bill/SR204/2026
• Donald Trump Jr. — X post: https://x.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/ (via Townhall coverage)
• Townhall — Trump Jr. and MAGA reaction: https://townhall.com/tipsheet/josephchalfant/2026/03/30/andy-barrs-desire-for-a-mitch-mcconnell-statue-has-come-back-to-haunt-him-n2673669
• National Park Service — Charles Young biography: https://home.nps.gov/people/charles-young.htm
• Wikipedia — Charles Young: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Young_(United_States_Army_officer)
• ExploreKYHistory — Charles Young Kentucky record: https://explorekyhistory.ky.gov/items/show/270

The President of the United States published a statement on Truth Social on March 30, 2026, the day before the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in Trump v. Barbara, a case concerning his executive order ending birthright citizenship. The statement reads, in relevant part: “Birthright Citizenship has to do with the babies of slaves, not Chinese Billionaires who have 56 kids, all of whom ‘become’ American Citizens. One of the many Great Scams of our time!”

The President’s statement arrives the day before oral arguments in a case that will determine whether his executive order — signed on his first day in office — is constitutionally permissible. The order redefines citizenship to exclude children born in the United States to parents without legal status or on temporary visas. The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”

This correspondent notes the following items for the record. The President’s characterisation of birthright citizenship as applying exclusively to the children of slaves is his stated position and the stated position of his administration’s legal filings before the Supreme Court. It is not the position of the Supreme Court, which in 1898 ruled in United States v. Wong Kim Ark that the 14th Amendment confers citizenship on children born in the United States to immigrant parents. Wong Kim Ark was the child of Chinese immigrants living legally in the United States. The Supreme Court ruled 6-2 that he was a citizen. The case is directly on point. It has governed birthright citizenship for 128 years.

Legal scholars across the ideological spectrum, including those who support the President’s broader immigration agenda, have described the argument that the 14th Amendment applies only to the children of enslaved persons as inconsistent with the amendment’s text, its legislative history, and the 1898 precedent. Senator Jacob Howard, the Republican who managed the 14th Amendment’s passage in the Senate, stated in 1866 that the citizenship clause would include “every other class of persons” except foreign diplomats and their families. The children of Chinese immigrants were discussed specifically during the amendment’s drafting. They were included. This is in the congressional record.

The President additionally stated that the United States is “the only Country in the World that dignifies this subject with even discussion.” Approximately thirty countries currently offer unrestricted birthright citizenship under the legal principle known as jus soli, including Canada, Mexico, and every country in Central and South America. The United States is not the only such country. This has been noted.

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments tomorrow. A decision is expected before the end of June. The 14th Amendment has been in continuous effect since 1868.

Source Block

Primary source: President Donald J. Trump — Truth Social, 30 March 2026 Archived copy: archive.org Screenshot on file: screenshots/trump-birthright-citizenship-post.png

Supporting sources:

• Reason — Supreme Court arguments and 14th Amendment history: https://reason.com/2026/03/31/trumps-unconstitutional-attack-on-birthright-citizenship-finally-reaches-the-supreme-court/
• PBS NewsHour — fact-check of Trump’s birthright claims: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-trump-on-birthright-citizenship-and-birth-tourism-before-supreme-court-hears-arguments
• CBS News — Trump v. Barbara case overview: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-trump-v-barbara/
• Brennan Center — 14th Amendment legislative history: https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/birthright-citizenship-under-us-constitution

Oracle Corporation began notifying employees of their termination on March 31, 2026, at approximately 6 a.m. local time across the United States, India, Canada, and Mexico. The notifications arrived via email from an address identified as “Oracle Leadership” with the subject line: “Immediate Action Required – Important Information Regarding Your Employment.” The body of the email informed recipients that their role had been eliminated as part of a broader organisational change, that today was their last working day, and that access to company systems had been revoked. There was no prior notice from HR. There was no prior notice from direct managers. The email offered severance contingent on signing separation paperwork. Investment bank TD Cowen estimates the total cuts will affect between 20,000 and 30,000 employees — approximately 18 percent of Oracle’s global workforce of 162,000 people. Oracle has not confirmed the number. Oracle has not commented.

The layoffs are tied to Oracle’s AI infrastructure buildout. The company has taken on 58 billion dollars in new debt in the past two months and has committed to capital expenditure of an estimated 156 billion dollars to construct AI data centers. The job cuts are expected to free up between 8 and 10 billion dollars in cash flow toward this project. Oracle posted a 95 percent jump in net income last quarter, reaching 6.13 billion dollars. This is not a company in financial distress. It is a company that has decided to fund the future using the present workforce as collateral. The employees who received the 6 a.m. email did not receive advance notice of this decision.

Later on March 31, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps published a statement through its official outlet Sepah News designating 18 American and allied technology companies as legitimate military targets. The statement advised employees of these institutions to immediately leave their workplaces to preserve their lives and warned that the companies should expect destruction of their respective units starting at 8 p.m. Tehran time on Wednesday, April 1. Oracle is on the list. The other 17 companies named are Cisco, HP, Intel, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Meta, IBM, Dell, Palantir, Nvidia, JPMorgan Chase, Tesla, General Electric, Boeing, Spire Solutions, and UAE-based AI firm G42. The IRGC stated that these companies are considered legitimate targets due to their involvement in planning and tracking targets for US-Israeli military strikes. Oracle holds an 88 million dollar contract with the US Air Force to integrate its cloud computing software into Air Force operations. Oracle has not commented on the IRGC designation.

This correspondent notes that Oracle employees in the Gulf region received two significant communications on March 31, 2026. The first arrived at 6 a.m. and informed them their employment had ended. The second arrived later and advised them to leave their workplace before 8 p.m. on April 1. The sequencing is noted. Oracle has not commented on either.

Source Block

Primary sources:

• NY Post — Oracle layoffs: https://nypost.com/2026/03/31/us-news/major-tech-employer-oracle-announces-layoffs/
• The Hill — IRGC tech target list: https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5809104-iran-irgc-apple-microsoft-google-hp-meta-tesla/
• Screenshots on file: screenshots/oracle-layoffs-6am-email.png, screenshots/iran-irgc-tech-targets.png

Supporting sources:

• The Next Web — Oracle layoffs detail: https://thenextweb.com/news/oracle-layoffs-march-2026
• CNBC — Oracle layoffs confirmed: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/31/oracle-layoffs-ai-spending.html
• Electrek — IRGC full list and Tesla analysis: https://electrek.co/2026/03/31/tesla-irgc-target-list-gulf-operations-threat/
• Times of Israel — IRGC statement text: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/irans-irgc-says-it-will-target-18-companies-including-google-apple-ibm-tesla/

Internal links:

• Palantir/school piece: /rabbit-trails/prsm-lamerd-school-palantir-ai-combat-debut
• Week five situation report: /rabbit-trails/iran-war-week-five-situation-report-haifa-teva-hormuz

The President of the United States issued three diplomatic communications on the morning of March 31, 2026, between 8:06 AM and 9:42 AM. They are presented here in order of transmission.

At 8:06 AM, the President addressed countries experiencing difficulty obtaining jet fuel due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. He singled out the United Kingdom by name, noting that it had refused to become involved in the decapitation of Iran. He offered two suggestions. The first was to purchase fuel from the United States, which he noted has plenty. The second was to, in his words, “build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.” The President added that the United States would not be available to assist these countries going forward, as they had not been available to assist the United States. He noted that Iran had been “essentially, decimated” and that “the hard part is done.” He closed with the instruction: “Go get your own oil!” The post was signed: President DJT.

16 minutes after this, at 8:22 AM, the President addressed France. He stated that France had refused to permit planes loaded with military supplies for Israel to fly over French territory. He described France as “VERY UNHELPFUL” with respect to the “Butcher of Iran,” who he noted had been “successfully eliminated.” He stated that the United States will REMEMBER. The post was signed: President DJT.

One hour and 20 minutes later, at 9:42 AM, the President announced that Their Majesties the King and Queen of the United Kingdom will visit the United States for a Historic State Visit from April 27 to 30, to include a Banquet Dinner at the White House on the evening of April 28. The President noted that the visit will be even more special this year as it coincides with the 250th Anniversary of the United States of America. He stated that he looks forward to spending time with the King, whom he greatly respects. He stated the visit will be TERRIFIC. The post was signed: DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

This correspondent notes that the United Kingdom was addressed twice in the same morning, at an interval of 96 minutes. In the first communication it was advised to build up delayed courage and go take its own oil, as the United States would no longer be available to help. In the second it was invited to a Banquet Dinner. The King is greatly respected. France was not mentioned in the third post. France will be remembered.

The Strait of Hormuz remains closed.

Source Block

Primary sources:

• Post 1 (8:06 AM): https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116323481956698353
• Post 2 (8:22 AM): https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116323516183718262
• Post 3 (9:42 AM): https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116323992527197622
• Screenshot on file: screenshots/trump-uk-france-hormuz-morning-posts.png

Archived copies:

• archive.org post 1
• archive.org post 2
• archive.org post 3

The United States Environmental Protection Agency issued its highest-level air quality designation — “hazardous” — across a 200-mile stretch of Texas and New Mexico on March 27, 2026, affecting approximately 1.3 million residents. A second cloud of unhealthy air formed simultaneously near the US-Mexico border, centred over El Paso, a city of nearly 700,000 people. The air quality index in the border region reached 290 at its peak, a reading worse than any major city on Earth at the time of measurement, surpassing Dhaka, Delhi, and Lahore. Anyone within the affected zones was advised to close their windows, avoid outdoor activity, wear a face mask when leaving the home, and operate an air purifier if one was available.

The source of the hazardous air is fine particulate matter designated PM2.5 and PM10, produced in this instance by a combination of industrial emissions, wind-blown dust, and fires reported outside Odessa. The region sits within and adjacent to the Permian Basin, the largest oil and gas producing zone in the United States, which contributes materially to baseline particulate matter levels in the area under normal conditions. The EPA’s air quality advisory instructs residents that PM2.5 particles are small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs, cause inflammation and breathing difficulties, and contribute to heart attacks and strokes. Residents are encouraged to run their air purifiers. The agency did not specify how residents without air purifiers should proceed.

The Environmental Protection Agency, which issued this advisory, has undergone significant organisational changes in recent months. Under EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, the agency has terminated approximately 400 probationary employees, closed its Office of Environmental Justice, shuttered its Office of Inclusive Excellence, and eliminated all diversity and equity staff across its ten regional offices. President Trump stated in a cabinet meeting that he expected 65 percent of the EPA’s workforce — approximately 11,000 employees — to be let go, though EPA spokespeople declined to confirm this figure. DOGE has been granted sign-off authority over all agency expenditures exceeding $50,000. The agency’s budget has been proposed for reduction by 65 percent. Administrator Zeldin has outlined five new strategic pillars for the EPA. They include bringing back American auto jobs, making America the AI capital of the world, and boosting fossil fuel development. Protecting human health and the environment is also on the list.

One million three hundred thousand Americans have been advised to stay inside and lock their windows. The air purifiers are running where available. The EPA is on the case.

Source Block

Primary source: Daily Mail — toxic air warning Texas New Mexico, 27 March 2026 Screenshot on file: screenshots/toxic-air-southern-us-daily-mail.png Archived copy: archive.org

Supporting sources:

• EPA/IQAir data via Mogaznews: https://news.mogaznews.com/index.php/news/16278/Technology/March-27-2026/Over-a-million-Americans-warned-to-stay-inside-and-lock-windows-as-toxic-air-spreads-across-Southern-US
• Government Executive — DOGE EPA spending controls: https://www.govexec.com/management/2025/03/epa-begins-eliminating-offices-doge-tightens-grip-nearly-all-agency-spending/403684/
• Sierra Club — EPA cuts overview: https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/epa-under-trump-besieged-mass-terminations-axed-programs-funding-cuts
• Wikipedia — DOGE federal agencies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_federal_agencies_targeted_by_DOGE

A social media post published Monday morning by @USronaldcarter, describing the previous twelve hours as “catastrophic” for Israel and the United States, received 1.9 million views and 11,000 retweets within hours of publication. This correspondent has cross-referenced its claims against reporting from the New York Times, BBC, Al Jazeera, Times of Israel, and Reuters. The following is what can be confirmed.

Iranian missile fire struck the Bazan oil refinery in Haifa on March 30, causing a fire and thick smoke visible across the city. A tanker in the facility’s grounds received a direct hit. Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen described the damage as not significant and confirmed no fuel disruption. The refinery has now been struck three times in less than a year. Its planned relocation from Haifa Bay, due to longstanding environmental and safety concerns, has been delayed to 2031. The chemical and pharmaceutical industrial zone near Beersheba, which includes one of Teva Pharmaceutical’s largest facilities, sustained fire damage from intercepted missile fragments in a previous barrage. Teva is the largest generic drug manufacturer in the world. The fire was reported as contained. US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia have sustained damage from Iranian strikes, with the Institute for National Security Studies estimating over 800 million dollars in regional damage to date. These are confirmed.

The claim that Iran carried out 27 strikes on the Negev with zero air defense interceptions is not confirmed. Multiple Israeli media sources report interceptions in recent barrages, though the rate and effectiveness have been described as diminished. The claim that Iran issued an ultimatum threatening to strike American universities by noon March 30 is not confirmed in the precise phrasing reported. The claim that Iran announced targeting of the personal homes of military commanders reflects stated Iranian intent but was not phrased as a formal announcement. The claim that Iran has full control of the Strait of Hormuz is not confirmed; Iran has asserted control and the strait remains closed to US and Israeli allied shipping, with QatarEnergy having already declared force majeure on LNG contracts.

This correspondent notes the following without editorial comment. The military operation is now in its fifth week. More than 15,000 bombs have been dropped on Iran. More than 5,500 targets have been struck by coalition forces. The Iranian Red Crescent has recorded more than 1,900 dead and 20,000 wounded in Iran. Seventy-two fatalities have been recorded from Iranian strikes outside Israel. Israel’s missile interception capacity has been described by analysts as materially diminished. The Tomahawk stockpile has been described as alarmingly low. The RUSI think tank has estimated five years to replenish what has been expended. Civilian infrastructure on both sides — refineries, pharmaceutical plants, universities, power plants, desalination facilities, ports — is now a primary target category for all parties. The Atlantic is running headlines about a multidimensional economic disaster. These are all confirmed.

The viral post closed with the words: “This war just entered a phase nobody planned for.” An AI system that nominated targets during the opening strikes has been promoted to a core Pentagon program of record. The President of the United States has outlined contingency plans for the desalination plants in a Truth Social post signed with his full name and title. The Vice President believes the unidentified aerial phenomena may be demonic. A UN representative resigned and said may God bless this world. God has not responded.

The phase nobody planned for is being planned for now.

Source Block

Primary source: @USronaldcarter — X, 30 March 2026 Verification: @grok fact-check thread (screenshot on file) Screenshots on file: screenshots/ronald-carter-12-hours-screenshot.png, screenshots/grok-verification-screenshot.png

Verified supporting sources:

• Haifa refinery strike: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/30/fire-contained-after-missile-attack-on-oil-refinery-in-israels-haifa
• Israel Hayom — dual barrage details: https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/03/30/dual-barrage-from-iran-lebanon-strikes-near-haifa-refineries/
• JNS — Energy Minister response: https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/iran-missile-hits-haifa-refinery-causes-no-fuel-disruption
• Ctech — Teva/Neot Hovav industrial zone: https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/rjgfeodibl
• CNN — civilian infrastructure targeting across the region: https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/30/world/middle-east-civilian-targets-iran-war-intl
• RUSI — munitions cost and replenishment: https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/over-11000-munitions-16-days-iran-war-command-reload-governs-endurance

Internal links:

• Tomahawk piece: /rabbit-trails/tomahawk-missiles-alarmingly-low-iran-war
• Trump desalination post: /rabbit-trails/trump-iran-obliterate-desalination-lovely-stay
• Palantir/school piece: /rabbit-trails/prsm-lamerd-school-palantir-ai-combat-debut
• Vance demons: /rabbit-trails/vance-ufo-demons-area-51-classification
• Safa UN nuclear: /rabbit-trails/safa-un-resignation-nuclear-weapons-iran

The Israeli Knesset has passed legislation mandating the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of intentionally killing a person with the intent to deny the existence of the State of Israel. The bill was introduced by the Otzma Yehudit party, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and passed its final readings on Monday, March 30, 2026. The law now applies in any territory under Israeli functional control, including the West Bank and 53 percent of the Gaza Strip. Courts may impose the death sentence even if the prosecution did not request it. Unanimous consent of the judges is not required. Executions are to be carried out within 90 days of confirmation by the Israeli Prison Service.

This correspondent notes several procedural details. The bill’s language specifies killing with intent to deny the existence of the State of Israel, a threshold that Israeli legal experts and IDF representatives both warned creates a practical distinction making the law applicable almost exclusively to Palestinians. Israeli nationals convicted of lethal nationalist attacks against Palestinians are not subject to the same provision, as the ideological burden of proof operates in one direction. The Justice Ministry’s representative described establishing the death penalty in the West Bank through civilian legislation as “very problematic.” The IDF warned the law contradicts international treaties to which Israel is signatory. The bill passed.

Israel has executed two people in its history. The first was Meir Tobianski, an IDF soldier convicted of treason by court-martial in 1948, granted no lawyer or right of appeal, and hanged. He was subsequently exonerated. The second was Adolf Eichmann, convicted of crimes against humanity in 1962. Israel holds approximately 9,500 Palestinian prisoners. Several hundred are estimated to be eligible for the death penalty under the new law.

Minister Ben-Gvir has been wearing a lapel pin in the shape of a noose to National Security Committee meetings during the bill’s deliberation. He handed out sweets to Knesset colleagues after the bill passed its first reading. His colleague, MK Limor Son Har-Melech, who co-sponsored the legislation, dressed as an executioner complete with noose and syringe for the Purim holiday. Her husband wore a costume representing the themes of, in his description, “occupation, expulsion, settlement.” Minister Ben-Gvir has confirmed that doctors have expressed willingness to participate in executions. Their message to him was: “Just tell us when.” The method of execution has not been finalised. Hanging is described as one of the options. The electric chair has also been mentioned. Ben-Gvir noted that euthanasia is another possibility.

France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement expressing deep concern. They described the bill as having a de facto discriminatory character. Israel’s Foreign Ministry accused them of double standards. The bill passed. The doctors are available.

Source Block

Primary source: AP News — Israel death penalty bill Knesset Archived copy: archive.org

Supporting sources:

• Haaretz — bill passage and wording: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-politics/2026-03-30/ty-article/israel-passes-bill-mandating-death-penalty-for-palestinians-convicted-of-terror/0000019d-3f83-d3ba-abbf-bfdfd95c0000
• Common Dreams — noose pins, Purim costume, sweets: https://www.commondreams.org/news/israel-death-penalty-bill-advances
• Countercurrents — Ben-Gvir doctors quote: https://countercurrents.org/2026/03/israel-advances-death-penalty-bill-targeting-palestinian-detainees-what-it-means-and-why-its-dangerous/
• Al Jazeera — EU response: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/29/european-nations-criticise-israels-death-penalty-plans
• Jewish Chronicle — Tobianski and Eichmann precedent: https://www.thejc.com/news/israel/death-penalty-bill-final-knesset-vote-uhclpd27
• Adalah — legal analysis and prisoner figures: https://www.adalah.org/en/content/view/11499

The Precision Strike Missile designated PrSM completed prototype testing in 2025 and entered combat on the first day of the military operation in Iran, February 28, 2026. Its first confirmed strike hit a sports hall and adjacent elementary school in Lamerd, a city in southern Iran. At least 21 people were killed, including two schoolgirls aged 10 and 11 and their volleyball coach. The New York Times, working with munitions experts, verified the weapon’s distinctive silhouette in flight footage, its mid-air fireball detonation, and the pattern of tungsten pellet fragmentation damage across the school grounds and surrounding residential area. A United States official confirmed to the Times that the missile used was the PrSM. The missile is designed to detonate above its target and blast small tungsten pellets outward. The playground was peppered with fragmentation holes. The weapon performed as designed.

An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps compound is situated next to the sports hall. It appears to have been the intended target of the attack, though it is unclear whether it was damaged. According to archival satellite imagery reviewed by the Times, the school and sports hall have been separated from the IRGC compound by a wall for at least fifteen years. The school was publicly identified as a civilian facility on Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Wikimapia at the time of the strike. The wall is still there.

CENTCOM’s response to reports of the strike was as follows: “We’re aware of the reports and are looking into them. U.S. forces do not indiscriminately target civilians, unlike the Iranian regime.” This was also the day a Tomahawk cruise missile struck a school in Minab, several hundred miles away, killing 175 people. Two schools on the first day of the military operation. One struck by a cruise missile. The other by a weapon so new the military was publicly celebrating its combat debut in the days that followed. Whether the Lamerd strike was a targeting failure, a design flaw, or deliberate, CENTCOM is looking into it.

The AI targeting system that nominated locations for the opening strikes of the military operation is called Maven Smart System. It was built by Palantir Technologies under a contract valued at 1.3 billion dollars. It fuses satellite imagery, drone feeds, radar data and signals intelligence into a single interface, compressing the process of identifying, approving and striking a target from hours into seconds. Maven was being investigated for its possible role in the school strike in Minab. Following this investigation, Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg signed a memo designating Maven an official Pentagon program of record, mandating its adoption across every branch of the United States military by September 2026. The contract ceiling was not reduced. Palantir’s stock has approximately doubled in the past year. The children’s volleyball team did not have a contract ceiling.

Source Block

Primary sources:

• New York Times — PrSM Lamerd strike investigation (via Oman Observer): https://www.omanobserver.om/article/1186950/world/region/missile-hit-iranian-sports-hall-and-school-nyt
• Marine Corps Times — Palantir Maven and school strikes: https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-military/2026/03/24/deadly-iran-school-strike-casts-shadow-over-pentagons-ai-targeting-push/
• Reuters / Technology.org — Maven program of record designation: https://www.technology.org/2026/03/23/pentagon-makes-palantirs-maven-ai-an-official-core-military-system/
• @MarioNawfal tweet thread  number 2(screenshots on file)

Screenshots on file:

• screenshots/prsm-lamerd-school-screenshot.png
• screenshots/palantir-ai-school-screenshot.png

Archived copies:

• archive.org — Oman Observer
• archive.org — Marine Corps Times

The President of the United States has issued a progress report on negotiations to conclude the military operation in Iran. The update was published on Truth Social at 7:26 AM on March 30, 2026, and signed “President DONALD J. TRUMP.” It is reproduced here in full, as it constitutes its own summary:

“The United States of America is in serious discussions with A New, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME to end our Military Operations in Iran. Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately ‘Open for Business,’ we will conclude our lovely ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet ‘touched.’ This will be in retribution for our many soldiers, and others, that Iran has butchered and killed over the old Regime’s 47 year ‘Reign of Terror.’ Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP”

This correspondent notes several items for the record. The President is negotiating with a regime he has described as new and more reasonable than the previous one, which is the regime the military operation began against in February. The transition between regimes appears to have occurred during the operation. The new regime’s precise composition and the circumstances of its emergence were not addressed in the post.

The contingency targets identified by the President — electric generating plants, oil wells, Kharg Island, and possibly desalination plants — are civilian infrastructure. The Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols prohibit the deliberate targeting of objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, a category that includes drinking water installations. The desalination plants appear in the post with an exclamation point, suggesting the President considers their potential inclusion a matter of some enthusiasm. The word “touched” appears in quotation marks, implying the restraint exercised to date has been deliberate and provisional.

The Hormuz Strait, closure of which would affect approximately 20 percent of the world’s oil supply and the economies of multiple nations not party to the current military operation, is described as needing to be “Open for Business.” This is a commercial framing. The post closes with “Thank you for your attention to this matter,” which is a formal epistolary convention typically employed in correspondence with landlords, utility providers, and regulatory bodies.

In a related development, Israeli Channel 12 has reported that if the United States proceeds to a ground operation in Iran, Israeli forces will not participate. This is a troop contribution update. The military operation, which began as a joint US-Israeli air campaign, has killed the Iranian Supreme Leader, expended more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles, and produced over 1,900 confirmed dead. Israel has indicated it will observe the ground phase from a comfortable distance. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s precise location at the time of this clarification was not reported. He was not in Iran.

Great progress has been made. The desalination plants have not yet been touched.

Source Block

Primary source: President Donald J. Trump — Truth Social, 30 March 2026 Archived copy: archive.org Screenshot on file: screenshots/trump-iran-obliterate-truth-social.png

Secondary source: AF Post — @AFpost, X, 30 March 2026 Screenshot on file: screenshots/israel-no-ground-troops-netanyahu.png Via: Israeli Channel 12

Supporting context:

• Geneva Conventions Additional Protocol I, Article 54: https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/api-1977/article-54
• Hormuz Strait oil transit figures: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=61025

Internal links:

• Trump military operation piece: /rabbit-trails/trump-military-operation-war-congressional-approval
• Tomahawk piece: /rabbit-trails/tomahawk-missiles-alarmingly-low-iran-war

External link:

• Jane Doe’s Truthful response