If true, this helps explain why Trump decided to go to war when he did: he didn't want to be upstaged by Netanyahu because then he couldn't claim (as he will) that he alone destroyed the threat from Iran.

I'm sure the SEC (chairman Paul Atkins, appointed in 2025 by Trump) will conduct a thorough investigation before concluding that no laws were broken.

'Misspoke', definition: what you claim you did when you are caught out lying

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command".

As with so much that he does, it wasn't a lie in the sense that he was hiding his real intentions.

He says things that people want to hear and that serve his purposes at the time; but he doesn't feel the need to stick to what he has said.

Comes to the same thing of course.

Exactly that.

I've done some research. Seems to be a particularly bad case of Epsteinitis.

Haven't seen anyone defending Iran.

What I have seen is many experts pointing out that the chaos that the US and Israel are creating in Iran will have unintended and wide ranging consequences.

28th March. Put it in your diary.

Good question.

Probably not part of a plan, but nonetheless something that Putin will take advantage of.

Ah right. Thanks for the correction.

It would probably have been renegotiate though - yes?

The Economist Democracy Index - Wikipedia

There is zero evidence that our elections have been infected by 'fraud, intimidation and outright cheating.'

On the contrary: democracy trackers all place the UK among the best countries for fair elections.

Eg en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eco...

Trump apologists explain endlessly that they've had enough of going to war for foreign countries, far away - such as Ukraine.

But they obviously make an exception in the case of Iran.

So- Russia is not a threat to a world stability but Iran is.

What's alarming is that Trump, Hegseth and Caine have all gone public in the past 24 hours preparing the public for body bags containing American service personnel.

They are clearly planning to escalate this conflict.

Yeah but their all muslamic so who can tell the difference.

Fucking idiot.

They already have. And it will be someone as hardline as Khamenei who, crucially, will still have access to Russian, Chinese and North Korean armaments.

A verbal slip that demonstrates clearly that the Trump administration has absolutely no idea what it has unleashed, nor what it is doing.

Rule no 1 if you're seeking regime change: make sure that there's a credible leader to take over once you've stopped the bombing.

Killing them ensures chaos.

It's also rubbish. If Harris were president, the JCPOAA would still be in effect.

But why should he show empathy to losers?

Why are you surprised that a demented psychopath who goes to war on a whim with no plan or strategy should be incapable of consistency?

Apart from all the obvious reasons, there's the fact that Trump desperately wants to be the person who 'solved' the Iran problem once and for all.

The shooting in Texas by a man wearing Iranian symbols could be just the pretext Trump needs to declare a US-wide state of emergency. And, 'of course', it would be impossible to hold elections during such an emergency.

Trump sets the tone for this kind of spiteful and childish behaviour.

It's really undignified coming from the legislators of a state that regards itself as a world leader.

Of course, it's a bit early, but ... states at war usually suspend elections.

He needs the deaths of a few US service personnel in order to justify completely bombing the shit out of Iran.

Like Trump has been very, very exonerated.

'Very innocent' means 'guilty'.

I'm sure you really do get it, but just incase: when Trump says 'I'm exonerated' his voters will believe that he has been exonerated.

None of them will ask themselves whether it's true; Trump said it, and that's good enough.

This is the Poundland Trump taking a leaf out of his master's playbook: make a lot of noise about something that no-one can either prove or disprove - because voters only pay attention to the headlines.

When Trump eventually ceases his bombing of Iran, he will probably claim that he ended yet another war.