Jim Manley

An 'Imminent' Iranian Threat? Really? How an Orwellian Obama-era memo set a precedent for Trump’s Iran attack

An 'Imminent' Iranian Threat? Really? How an Orwellian Obama-era memo set a precedent for Trump’s Iran attack open.substack.com/pub/spytalk/...

NYT: “.. the president capped an extraordinary day of U.S. aggression abroad by attending a glitzy fund-raising dinner at his club ..

.. a striking departure from how other presidents have handled the gravity of war.”

@nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/28/u...

Illegal war on Iran does not seem super popular.

This is truly offensive

Optics.

@thedailybeast.bsky.social
www.thedailybeast.com/trump-hosts-...

👇🏼👇🏼

Just a stunning thing for him to say

The Graham corollary to the Powell Doctrine:

If you break it, who cares about fixing it, that’s someone else’s problem.

Let’s unravel the rationale for going to war, shall we? @donmoyn.bsky.social has done it for us and spoiler alert: not one of them is true. 🧵

Sen Chris Murphy (D-CT) to Face the Nation:

“I don't have any obligation to fund a Department of Homeland Security that is violating the law every day, just like I don't have any obligation to support this war that is illegal as well.”

Charlie Kirk’s face is on the Department of Education building as America prepares for its 250th anniversary.

Charlie Kirk’s face is on the Department of Education building for some reason (via Raquel Martin)

Ted Cruz: "I have no indication they were anywhere close to getting nuclear weapons"

Up is down is up

OPINION: We must hold the line against Trump’s false election fraud claims - The Nevada Independent OPINION: We must hold the line against Trump’s false election fraud claims. Read more at The Nevada Independent.

“This is not partisan; it is patriotism, a word that has been shorn of all meaning by those cloaking themselves in the flag to undermine democracy. After following this mendacity cycle after cycle, the endgame is no mystery.”

My column:

thenevadaindependent.com/article/opin...

The fact that a question like this even has to be asked is itself remarkable:

The White House has communicated so little about the offensive in Iran — its rationale, its goals, its scope, etc. — that there’s ambiguity about whether the United States is currently at war.

So they have no plan. Got it.

Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has all but stopped since yesterday.

Read the @financialtimes.com Economics editor, Sam Fleming's analysis of what the impact the war in Iran will have on the global economy
www.ft.com/content/31bf...

My god

Someone explained it to me - SCIF: Some Curtains In Front

U.S. Still Enjoying Small But Loyal Following WASHINGTON—While the nation’s mainstream popularity has largely diminished in recent years, sources confirmed this week that the United States still retains a passionate fan base composed of a few ext...

U.S. Still Enjoying Small But Loyal Following

NEW: Four federal judges have formed a firewall against ICE in West Virginia — and say they’ll punish state and federal officials of they continue detaining people in ways they have ruled illegal and unconstitutional.

www.politico.com/news/2026/03...

Mideast Wakes to More Blasts as Iran Vows to Avenge Khamenei: Live Updates New explosions were heard in Tehran while Iran said it had hit more American bases after the killing of the supreme leader

The U.S.-Israeli military operation in Iran has entered a second day and there were new explosions in Tehran, after hundreds of Iranian targets were struck Saturday.

Iran said it would deliver a painful retribution for the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

on.wsj.com/4ra3hfL

If you’re ever feeling low on confidence, just remember Trump was asking for $1B to join the “board of peace” right before bombing another country and declaring unilateral war to distract from the fact he and his friends like kids. Go do whatever you want. Nothing matters anymore

Truly sick shit

This war is less popular than every single one of Trump’s other unpopular policies. Which is amazing.

No, Trump Didn’t Make Historic Progress on Drug Prices Go ahead and guess which president did.

Great @citizencohn.bsky.social piece showing Trump’s drug pricing policies are all smoke and mirrors.

open.substack.com/pub/thebulwa...

OpenAI posted the terms of the deal. Reveals that it absolutely does allow for domestic surveillance. EO 12333 is how the NSA hides its domestic surveillance by capturing communications by tapping into lines *outside the US* even if it contains info from/on US persons.

openai.com/index/our-ag...

Special Edition: A Questionable War of Choice (February 28, 2026) The United States launched a major armed attack on Iran Saturday, striking military and political targets throughout the country.

Richard Haass offers 13-point criticism of Trump's war on Iranl "A Questionable War of Choice" open.substack.com/pub/richardh...

Why the Epstein Investigations Took So Long and Did So Little

For example, the feds didn’t speak to or subpoena Les Wexner, Leon Black or Jes Staley. They don’t appear to have interviewed anyone at JPMorgan about its 15-year relationship. They concluded that Deutsche Bank was not guilty before interviewing key employees. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/01/u...

I hope you aren’t drunk and took your staff’s advice, Rashida and I don’t know this man and feel confident he didn’t care about us. Please restrain from drinking too much as you have been warned from your staff and stay off social media when you are drunk. I pray in his holy month you find peace and respect for your self,

uhhh oh my god