Trump Once Again Threatened War Crimes On The Eve Of Iran Peace Talks — And His Lackey Has An Interesting Interpretation

Posted on 20/04/2026 by Boris Clair

White House Energy Secretary Chris Wright called President Donald Trump a “creative negotiator” when asked about his threats to “knock out every single” power plant and bridge in Iran.

As peace talks between the United States and Iran appear to be at a stalemate amid a tenuous ceasefire agreement and continued jockeying over control of the Strait of Hormuz, the president demanded Iran accept America’s terms or face his full wrath in a Sunday morning Truth Social post.

“NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!” Trump declared, calling the US’s diplomatic offer “very fair and reasonable.”

Asked if the president’s intimidation tactics could “complicate” negotiations with Iran during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday” just hours later, Wright said he had full confidence in Trump.

“The president is using every way he can to get leverage over the regime and bring this conflict to an end,” he told host Shannon Bream. “He’s a creative negotiator, he uses pressure in different ways.”

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FOX NEWS SUNDAY: When the president talks about blowing up every power plant and bridge, how does complicate things?

CHRIS WRIGHT: He’s a creative negotiator pic.twitter.com/XsmrnxQvrZ

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 19, 2026

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FOX NEWS SUNDAY: When the president talks about blowing up every power plant and bridge, how does complicate things?

CHRIS WRIGHT: He’s a creative negotiator pic.twitter.com/XsmrnxQvrZ

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 19, 2026

“He uses uncertainty in different ways and I think as you’ve seen in the last 16 months, generally it leads to good results,” the cabinet member went on. “I don’t think we’ll see any surprises here.”

Wright envisioned reaching a “nice end to this conflict,” which he said would rescue Iran’s regional neighbors from “constant terror” and also guarantee a free “flow of goods” through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Imagine a nuclear armed Iran, not far away from that reality,” he said. “This is going to put an end to it.”

Wright stuck by his support for Trump’s strategy in a separate Sunday interview on CNN, where host Jake Tapper asked the secretary if he was worried strikes on civilian infrastructure could “constitute a war crime.”

“The president is looking for maximum leverage,” he said, later adding, “No, I’m not worried about that.”

Earlier this month, Trump triggered international panic with a near-identical ultimatum, telling Iran to “open the fuckin’ Strait” of Hormuz within two days or find themselves “living in hell” via Truth Social.

After upping the ante with a post warning “a whole civilization will die tonight” just hours before his 8pm April 7 deadline, a two-week ceasefire was announced.

Pete Hegseth Quoted A Bible Verse. Turns Out It Was A Rip-Off Of ‘Pulp Fiction.’

Posted on 17/04/2026 by Boris Clair

In a move that seems indicative of the Trump administration’s increasingly fractured relationship with the Vatican, Pete Hegseth appeared to mistake lines from a classic crime film for Scripture during a public appearance this week.

The defense secretary delivered a prayer during a livestreamed worship service at the Pentagon on Wednesday. “They call it CSAR 25:17, which I think is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17,” he said in his introduction of the prayer he’d been given.

However, viewers quickly noticed his words more closely echoed one of Samuel L. Jackson’s monologues from 1994’s “Pulp Fiction” than the biblical verse he’d referenced.

“The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men,” Hegseth said in part. “Blessed is he who, in the name of camaraderie and duty, shepherds the lost through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to capture and destroy my brother, and you will know my call sign is Sandy 1 when I lay my vengeance upon thee.”

Watch Pete Hegseth’s prayer service below. His reference to Ezekiel 25:17 begins around the 6:56 mark.

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In “Pulp Fiction,” Jackson portrays hit man Jules Winnfield, who offers a similar declaration before shooting a man to death.

“The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men,” he says. “Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and goodwill, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord, when I lay my vengeance upon thee. 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.”

Hegseth said the prayer was recited by the “Sandy 1” combat search and rescue (CSAR) mission in Iran, and to be fair, Pulp Fiction writer-director Quentin Tarantino reportedly drew from a scene in the 1973 Japanese film Bodyguard Kiba as the basis for Jackson’s monologue.

The actual Ezekiel 25:17 passage as it appears in the King James Bible is significantly shorter than both Hegseth’s and Jackson’s, reading simply: “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.”

Hegseth has yet to address the discourse publicly. The Pentagon’s chief spokesman, Sean Parnell, issued a statement on X Thursday acknowledging the CSAR prayer and Hegseth’s words were “obviously inspired by dialogue” in Pulp Fiction, but that both the prayer and the film scene were “reflections of the verse Ezekiel 25:17, as Secretary Hegseth clearly said in his remarks at the prayer service.”

“Anyone saying the Secretary misquoted Ezekiel 25:17 is peddling fake news and ignorant of reality,” he added.

Still, videos comparing Hegseth’s prayer to Jackson’s monologue went viral online and, as of Thursday, had drawn a fair number of snarky responses.

“When our leaders mix up God and a movie, in trying to suggest that God is behind them, that suggests the muddle we’re all in,” New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof wrote on X.

Journalist and author James North quipped: “The Old Testament’s ‘Book of Tarantino.’”

Hegseth’s prayer gaffe comes amid rising tensions between the Trump administration, including President Donald Trump himself, and high-ranking Catholic leaders.

On Sunday, the president deemed Pope Leo XIV “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy” in a post on his Truth Social platform after the pontiff criticized both the Iran war and the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.

That same day, Trump drew further outrage when he shared what appeared to be an AI-generated image of himself as Jesus Christ ― or, at the very least, a Christ-like figure ― on Truth Social.

Though the president argued the image was intended to depict him as a doctor, he or his team quietly deleted it after public figures on both sides of the political aisle condemned it as “blasphemous.”

Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

Trump Apparently Thinks Fizzy Drinks Kill Cancer Cells Because ‘It Kills Grass’

Posted on 15/04/2026 by Boris Clair

The man who suggested people drink bleach during the COVID pandemic is back with another hit.

President Donald Trump reportedly thinks fizzy drinks are good for him, because it kills grass — and therefore it must also kill cancer cells.

The wild revelation comes via Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump’s administrator for Medicare and Medicaid, who shared the anecdote on Donald Trump Jr.’s podcast on Tuesday.

“Your dad argues that diet soda is good for him because it kills grass if you pour it on grass, so therefore it must kill cancer cells inside the body,” Oz told Trump Jr. in disbelief, to which Trump Jr. just laughed and shrugged knowingly.

President Donald Trump drinks a soda as he hosts the Holyfield vs Belford boxing match live in 2021, next to his son Donald Trump Jr.

“I’m not even going to argue this right now,” Oz continued.

Oz then shared an anecdote of walking in on Trump drinking an orange Fanta on Air Force One, where he again repeated the theory.

“He’s got a Fanta on the desk and I say, ‘Are you kidding me?’ So he starts to sheepishly grin, he goes, ‘You know, this stuff’s good for me, it kills cancer cells.’”

The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center declined to comment.

Ex-Trump Official Says President ‘Should Be Removed Immediately’

Posted on 14/04/2026 by Boris Clair

A former Donald Trump official reacted to the president’s strange excuse for posting a meme that depicted him as Jesus by calling for his immediate removal from office.

Trump posted the AI-generated image showing him as a Christ-like figure, and, after lots of criticism, including some people who suggested he just might be the Antichrist, dubiously claimed he thought the image “was me as a doctor.”

Many people were sceptical of Trump’s frankly lame excuse for posting the meme, including former White House press secretary Anthony Scaramucci, who suggested on Monday it was time to kick Trump out of office for good.

“This guy should be removed immediately before his lack of impulse control causes an irreversible tragedy,” Scaramucci said on X. “He doesn’t believe what he just said, if he does it’s a cognitive crisis that responsible people would act on immediately.”

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DR JC from Nazareth. This guy should be removed immediately before his lack of impulse control causes an irreversible tragedy. He doesn’t believe what he just said, if he does it’s a cognitive crisis that responsible people would act on immediately. https://t.co/1Nq8a8sesU

— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) April 13, 2026

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DR JC from Nazareth. This guy should be removed immediately before his lack of impulse control causes an irreversible tragedy. He doesn’t believe what he just said, if he does it’s a cognitive crisis that responsible people would act on immediately. https://t.co/1Nq8a8sesU

— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) April 13, 2026

During the first Trump administration, Scaramucci, who mainly worked as a financier, served as White House press decretary for a whopping 10 days.

He has since spent a lot more time than that criticising his former boss.

Last month, he put a spin on the definition of “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” a so-called condition that the MAGA crowd claims affects the millions of people who don’t support the president.

He told Don Lemon the real people suffering from “TDS” are the folks “that are with him still.”

“Those are the people that are deranged,” he said. “Those are the people that have lost touch with reality in terms of how much damage he and his cronies are causing the country and the world.”

In November, Scaramucci told “The Daily Beast Podcast” the truth about Trump’s popularity with donors, aides and Republican Party officials: He’s not.

“Anybody who thinks the party likes him doesn’t understand the party,” Scaramucci explained. “And that could be the donors who hold their nose and give him money, or that could be the political class that lives with them in Washington.”

He added that “if you’re inside Trump’s inner orbit, you hate the guy’s guts,” but said “there’s a dance because you’re afraid of him, because he’s intimidating you, because of his political prowess and his media presence.”

“He’s sort of the big furry, he’s sasquatch of social media. And you don’t want him bigfooting your ass, right? So you’re afraid of him, but you hate his guts,” Scaramucci said.

Vance On Trump’s Jesus Picture: ‘The President Was Posting A Joke’

Posted on 14/04/2026 by Boris Clair

Vice president JD Vance tried to spin President Donald Trump’s now-deleted Truth Social post depicting himself as Jesus Christ in an AI-generated image.

Asked by Fox News’ Bret Baier on Monday about Trump’s recent clashes with Pope Leo XIV and the AI image, Vance defended the Jesus post and attempted to explain why the president eventually took it down.

“Well, first of all, Bret, I think the president was posting a joke,” Vance, who is Catholic, said. “And of course, he took it down because he recognised that a lot of people weren’t understanding his humour in that case.”

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BAIER: I wonder as a catholic how you consider this picture which a lot of people took as the president posting a picture of himself as Jesus?

VANCE: I think the president was posting a joke and, of course, he took it down because he recognized that a lot of people weren’t… pic.twitter.com/gdcaVw6Ahy

— Acyn (@Acyn) April 13, 2026

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BAIER: I wonder as a catholic how you consider this picture which a lot of people took as the president posting a picture of himself as Jesus?

VANCE: I think the president was posting a joke and, of course, he took it down because he recognized that a lot of people weren’t… pic.twitter.com/gdcaVw6Ahy

— Acyn (@Acyn) April 13, 2026

Vance then tried to paint Trump’s unorthodox use of social media as a positive attribute.

“I think the president of the United States likes to mix it up on social media, and I actually think that’s one of the good things about this president, is that he’s not filtered. He doesn’t send everything through a communications professional. He actually reaches out directly to the people,” Vance said.

Despite taking the post down, Trump tried to spin the image’s message.

“I did post it and I thought it was me as a doctor,” he told reporters at the White House. “Only the fake news could come up with that one.”

Everything JD Vance Touches Turns To S**t

Posted on 14/04/2026 by Boris Clair

The job of vice president is often a thankless one. John Nance Garner, President Franklin Roosevelt’s first vice president, called it “a no man’s land somewhere between the legislative and executive branch,” and reportedly once told Lyndon Johnson, a future vice president, that the office “isn’t worth a pitcher of warm spit.”

That’s something that Vice President JD Vance may have learned over the weekend ― although the circumstances are a bit different than in Garner’s day.

Over the past week, Vance embarked on his most important foreign policy missions yet. President Donald Trump sent Vance, his most likely successor in 2028, to Hungary to campaign for the besieged autocrat Viktor Orban as he struggled for the first time in the polls in 16 years ahead of Sunday’s election. And then, Vance led the US delegation to negotiate a permanent ceasefire agreement with Iran in Pakistan.

These were two of the most important priorities of the Trump administration and the larger far-right populist movement that it represents. And they both flamed out, rather spectacularly.

Orban lost on Sunday to an opposition coalition led by Peter Magyar, a former member of Orban’s party who defected in reaction to the regime’s corruption and proud illiberalism. Magyar’s coalition didn’t just beat Orban’s Fidesz party, it won a crushing victory with a supermajority of legislative seats capable of repealing Orban’s illiberal constitutional changes.

In Pakistan, during negotiations over Trump’s war of choice against Iran — which has deeply undermined his core political pitch that America should put American interests first — the US proved unable to assert its national interests. After less than 24 hours of negotiation, the Vance-led team seemingly walked away from the table having reached no deal.

It could be said that the advance of a global right-wing populist movement, the kind that Trump hints to as a mandate for his own administration, hinged on these two events. And Vance, put forward as the American face for them, promptly face-planted.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Vice President JD Vance during a campaign rally in Budapest ahead of the Hungarian parliamentary election.

Trump’s second term is modeled on Orban’s autocratic rule. The Trumpist right has long looked to Orban’s Hungary for what they should do to consolidate power: defund universities, gerrymander legislative districts, fix election rules and take over the media. The Heritage Foundation even partnered with Orban’s Danube Institute to help write the Project 2025 roadmap for Trump’s second term.

“There is an alternative” to the American and European models of government, Vance said on April 8, “and it’s right here in Hungary.”

The war in Iran, meanwhile, greatly threatens the whole right-wing project. This war of choice not only undermined the Trumpian idea that the United States not get bogged down in foreign quagmires, it also threatens every American’s ― and everyone in the world’s ― economic well-being. Six weeks of war have already caused inflation to spike while the full ripple effects of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have yet not been fully felt. If Trump has any hope of matching Orban’s 16 years of success in instituting a competitive authoritarian regime, he needs to protect his party from heavy losses in the 2026 midterms. It doesn’t help when he causes economic pain for everyone.

But Trump has reportedly gotten tired of the war he started and has been looking for off-ramps.

“[Trump] is getting a little bored with Iran,” a White House official told MSNOW. “Not that he regrets it or something — he’s just bored and wants to move on.”

That means someone else has to step in and clean up the mess. And that person is Vance, who has hitched himself to a massive loss for right-wing populists and, despite reports that he was opposed to the War in Iran, is left holding the bag for the war’s potentially catastrophic economic impacts as the face of the failed negotiations.

As Vance, who has no diplomatic or foreign policy experience, announced that Iran has “chosen not to accept our terms,” which he characterised as “our final and best offer,” Trump sat octagon-side at a UFC cage match with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Oil futures jumped back above $100 after falling to the low-90s after the April 7 announcement of a 10-day ceasefire.

Mohammad Javad Zarif, the former Iranian foreign minister who reached the 2015 nuclear deal with the Obama administration that Trump tore up, pointed to Vance’s words as the exact reason why Iran could not trust the US position.

“No negotiations – at least with Iran – will succeed based on ‘our/your terms,’” Zarif posted on social media. “The US must learn: you can’t dictate terms to Iran.”

There were other signs this weekend that Vance’s political clout is under strain. Vance, who has spoken often and publicly about his Catholic faith (he has an upcoming memoir about his conversion), has been conspicuously silent since Trump attempted to pick a fight with Pope Leo XIV on social media on Sunday.

Vance’s inability to smooth the way with the pontiff has been a point of embarrassment before. Earlier this year, the American-born Leo apparently declined an invitation, delivered by Vance, to visit the United States for the nation’s 250th anniversary. The Vatican announced he will instead visit a Mediterranean site known for migrant crossings. And Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, actively condemned Vance’s religious-tinged political rhetoric around migrants in a 2025 letter to U.S. bishops. Vance was one of the last official visitors to Francis before he died in April 2025.

Trump’s Truth Social tirade against Leo was, ironically, over the pope’s criticisms of the war with Iran. Now, with the Vance-led peace talks stalled and the vice president apparently unable to soften the blow as his boss escalates a new feud with the Vatican, it seems to leave Vance 0/3 on attempts to influence the world stage.

Vance’s forays into foreign affairs are representative of how the modern vice presidency has changed from when Garner called it a no man’s land. The office has become either a power of its own, as when more seasoned political veterans like Dick Cheney and Joe Biden occupied the office, or, more frequently, a stepping stone for a successor, as with vice presidents Al Gore and Kamala Harris. (Perhaps Mike Pence would be included here if he had the courage.)

And Vance clearly sees himself as the heir to Trump’s Republican Party ahead of 2028. But he seems to have been set up to fail. His assignments are beginning to look like President Joe Biden’s decision to put Harris in charge of diplomacy to stem migration from Central America in 2021 ― a thankless job on an issue that wasn’t working for Democrats at the time.

It may well turn out that Vance’s vice presidency ― thanks to the new added responsibilities ― is still not worth a pitcher of warm spit.

Viktor Orban’s Landslide Election Defeat Triggers Widespread Mockery Of JD Vance

Posted on 13/04/2026 by Boris Clair

Viktor Orban’s crushing defeat in the Hungarian elections has triggered online mockery of JD Vance.

In a highly-controversial move, the US vice-president travelled to Budapest last week to give his support to Orban, the pro-Russia, right-wing nationalist who had been his country’s prime minister for 16 years.

Confirming the Trump administration’s backing for Orban, Vance said he was there “to help him in this campaign cycle”.

However, Orban lost in a landslide to his pro-EU rival Peter Magyar when Hungarians went to the polls on Sunday.

Magyar had said the election was “a choice between East or West, propaganda or honest public discourse, corruption or clean public life”.

His victory was quickly welcomed by politicians across the EU, as well as by Keir Starmer.

Posting on X, the prime minister said: “Congratulations Peter Magyar on your election victory. This is an historic moment, not only for Hungary, but for European democracy. I look forward to working with you for the security and prosperity of both our countries.”

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Congratulations @MagyarPeterMP on your election victory.

This is an historic moment, not only for Hungary, but for European democracy.

I look forward to working with you for the security and prosperity of both our countries.

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) April 12, 2026

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Congratulations @MagyarPeterMP on your election victory.

This is an historic moment, not only for Hungary, but for European democracy.

I look forward to working with you for the security and prosperity of both our countries.

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) April 12, 2026

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said: “Hungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary. A country reclaims its European path. The Union grows stronger.”

Other social media users, including Lib Dem leader Ed Davey, were quick to point out that Magyar’s victory was also a humiliation for JD Vance.

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visits the pope → pope dies

leads Iran negotiations → talks collapse

flies to Hungary to prop up Orbán → Orbán loses in a landslide

Man’s got a streak. pic.twitter.com/Xx9I2HIwtc

— Election Enjoyer 🇺🇸 (@ElxMapping) April 12, 2026

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visits the pope → pope dies

leads Iran negotiations → talks collapse

flies to Hungary to prop up Orbán → Orbán loses in a landslide

Man’s got a streak. pic.twitter.com/Xx9I2HIwtc

— Election Enjoyer 🇺🇸 (@ElxMapping) April 12, 2026

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Vance has the magic touch.

— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) April 12, 2026

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Vance has the magic touch.

— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) April 12, 2026

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Not even a week after JD Vance traveled to Budapest to show his support and love for him, the pro-Russian Viktor Orban has suffered one of the most catastrophic electoral defeats in the history of the Hungarian nation. Do visit us more often, JD! Cheers from Europe!🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/p9vJ4aWr0X

— Daractenus (@Daractenus) April 12, 2026

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Cheers from Europe!🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/p9vJ4aWr0X— Daractenus (@Daractenus) April 12, 2026\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":1280,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/amplify_video_thumb/2043410649691074560/img/9CIfZBOVqou7U_xm.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":720,"title":"Daractenus on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/Daractenus/status/2043412323369419211","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"uk","name":"U.K.","link":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk","locale":"en_GB"},"originalEdition":"uk","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isMobile":false,"isAdsFree":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"69dc7f46e4b0ccb589ed8243","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/viktor-orbans-landslide-election-defeat-triggers-widespread-mockery-of-jd-vance_uk_69dc7f46e4b0ccb589ed8243","entryTagsList":"jd-vance,viktor-orban,@ai_seo_headline","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":null,"sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"isShopping":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"uk.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc140cf94592c45d7390c","disabledWithMapiEntries":false,"overrides":{"all":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4"},"whitelisted":["56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439","56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529","570278d2e4b070ff77b98217","57027b4be4b070ff77b98d5c","56fe95c4e4b0041c4242016b","570279cfe4b06d08e3629954","5ba9e8821c2e65639162ccf1","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e","5b35266b158f855373e28256","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2","60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","60d0de02b627221e9d819408"],"playlists":{"default":"57bc306888d2ff1a7f6b5579","news":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","politics":"56c6dbcee4b04edee8beb49c","entertainment":"56c6e7f2e4b0983aa64c60fc","tech":"56c6f70ae4b043c5bdcaebf9","parents":"56cc65c2e4b0239099455b42","lifestyle":"56cc66a9e4b01f81ef94e98c"},"playerUpdates":{"56c6056ee4b01f2b7e1b5f35":"60b8e525cdd90620331baaf4","56c5f12ee4b03a39c93c9439":"60d0d8e09340d7032ad0fb1a","59bfee7f9e451049f87f550b":"60d0d90f9340d7032ad0fbeb","5acccbaac269d609ef44c529":"60d0d9949340d7032ad0fed3","5bcd9904821576674bc55ced":"60d0d9f99340d7032ad10113","5d076ca127f25f504327c72e":"60d0daa69340d7032ad104cf","5ebac2e8abddfb04f877dff2":"60d0de02b627221e9d819408"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"16b0ecc6-802c-4120-845f-e90629812c4d","clickToPlayPlayer":"823ac03a-0f7e-4bcb-8521-a5b091ae948d","videoPagePlayer":"05041ada-93f7-4e86-9208-e03a5b19311b","defaultPlaylist":"2e062669-71b4-41df-b17a-df6b1616bc8f"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":3},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":0},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"69dc7f46e4b0ccb589ed8243","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-uk"},"tags":[{"name":"jd vance","slug":"jd-vance","links":{"relativeLink":"news/jd-vance","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/jd-vance","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/jd-vance"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/jd-vance/"},{"name":"viktor orban","slug":"viktor-orban","links":{"relativeLink":"news/viktor-orban","permalink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/viktor-orban","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/viktor-orban"},"url":"https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/viktor-orban/"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"signInUrl":"https://login.huffpost.com/login?dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffpost.com%2Fentry%2Fviktor-orbans-landslide-election-defeat-triggers-widespread-mockery-of-jd-vance_uk_69dc7f46e4b0ccb589ed8243%3Fhp_auth_done%3D1","cetUnit":"buzz_body","enableIncontentPlayer":true,"bodyAds":["

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Not even a week after JD Vance traveled to Budapest to show his support and love for him, the pro-Russian Viktor Orban has suffered one of the most catastrophic electoral defeats in the history of the Hungarian nation. Do visit us more often, JD! Cheers from Europe!🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/p9vJ4aWr0X

— Daractenus (@Daractenus) April 12, 2026

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Has anyone noticed that wherever JD Vance goes, he just makes a mess.

In Munich he insulted European allies. In Greenland he turned everyone against Trump. And now he’s helped Viktor Orbán lose re-election.

Maybe better to spend more time on the couch @VP?

— Ed Davey (@EdwardJDavey) April 12, 2026

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Has anyone noticed that wherever JD Vance goes, he just makes a mess.

In Munich he insulted European allies. In Greenland he turned everyone against Trump. And now he’s helped Viktor Orbán lose re-election.

Maybe better to spend more time on the couch @VP?

— Ed Davey (@EdwardJDavey) April 12, 2026

‘This Man Is Not Well’: Critics Damn Trump After ‘Unhinged’ Late-Night Attack On Pope

Posted on 13/04/2026 by Boris Clair

Critics have condemned President Donald Trump after he attacked Pope Leo XIV in a Sunday night rant.

In a lengthy Truth Social post that ran more than 300 words, Trump slammed the pope for being “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.”

Trump griped:

“I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History.”

Trump also took credit for the Chicago-born pope’s election, claiming the College of Cardinals selected the first-ever American pontiff last year because “they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.”

President Donald Trump railed against Pope Leo while speaking with reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Sunday night.

He repeated his grievances a little later when he spoke to reporters as he returned to Washington from Miami on Sunday night.

“I don’t think he’s doing a very good job,” Trump said. “He likes crime, I guess.”

He also called the pontiff “a very liberal person” and “a man that doesn’t believe in stopping crime.”

“I’m not a fan of Pope Leo,” he added.

Trump’s attack came after the pope repeatedly called for peace amid the ongoing war with Iran.

He did so again on Saturday.

“Enough of the idolatry of self and money!” Leo said during an evening prayer service, according to The Associated Press. “Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!”

The pope did not mention Trump by name as he described the “delusion of omnipotence” as a threat to global stability, but the comments apparently triggered the president.

Trump’s critics fired back on X:

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I doubt Pope Leo XIV will lose any sleep over this, before he begins his pilgrimage to Africa tomorrow. But the rest of us should. Because it is unhinged, uncharitable and unchristian. Is there no bottom to this moral squalor? pic.twitter.com/XRr9lpv4ZF

— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) April 13, 2026

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Is there no bottom to this moral squalor? pic.twitter.com/XRr9lpv4ZF— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) April 13, 2026\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":1067,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HFwCKWYWgAEeU8k.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":926,"title":"James Martin, SJ on Twitter / 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I doubt Pope Leo XIV will lose any sleep over this, before he begins his pilgrimage to Africa tomorrow. But the rest of us should. Because it is unhinged, uncharitable and unchristian. Is there no bottom to this moral squalor? pic.twitter.com/XRr9lpv4ZF

— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) April 13, 2026

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Hey @GOP, you good with your guy directly attacking the Pope now?

We know the leadership of the Republican Party is on their knees (not praying!) but if anyone over there still has a spine, this is an easy one! https://t.co/lSsZHk6tvQ

— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) April 13, 2026

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We know the leadership of the Republican Party is on their knees (not praying!) but if anyone over there still has a spine, this is an easy one! https://t.co/lSsZHk6tvQ— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) April 13, 2026\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Governor Newsom Press Office on Twitter / 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Hey @GOP, you good with your guy directly attacking the Pope now?

We know the leadership of the Republican Party is on their knees (not praying!) but if anyone over there still has a spine, this is an easy one! https://t.co/lSsZHk6tvQ

— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) April 13, 2026

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As a Catholic, I find it abhorrent that the President of the United States would publicly attack the Successor of St. Peter. Donald Trump is flailing. His war in Iran has led to the death and injury of American servicemembers and the death of Iranian children. He will attack… pic.twitter.com/fl5d1G2QVP

— Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly) April 13, 2026

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As a Catholic, I find it abhorrent that the President of the United States would publicly attack the Successor of St. Peter. Donald Trump is flailing. His war in Iran has led to the death and injury of American servicemembers and the death of Iranian children. He will attack… pic.twitter.com/fl5d1G2QVP

— Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly) April 13, 2026

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I try and focus on policy and ignore all the grotesque nonsense Trump spews on a daily basis but as a Catholic I can’t stay silent. This must be condemned by every Catholic, every Christian, indeed by everyone who follows any faith. Trump is an abomination https://t.co/XtxrFuNxMC

— Chris Vance 🇺🇦🇺🇸 (@Chrisvance123) April 13, 2026

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I try and focus on policy and ignore all the grotesque nonsense Trump spews on a daily basis but as a Catholic I can’t stay silent. This must be condemned by every Catholic, every Christian, indeed by everyone who follows any faith. Trump is an abomination https://t.co/XtxrFuNxMC

— Chris Vance 🇺🇦🇺🇸 (@Chrisvance123) April 13, 2026

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Conservative Catholics said Joe Biden was a bad Catholic because he was liberal on abortion.

They won’t say a damn thing about this. https://t.co/rLxJ8Bb8ve

— Hemant Mehta (@hemantmehta) April 13, 2026

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Conservative Catholics said Joe Biden was a bad Catholic because he was liberal on abortion.

They won’t say a damn thing about this. https://t.co/rLxJ8Bb8ve

— Hemant Mehta (@hemantmehta) April 13, 2026

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This will end well.

Some genius in Trumpland decided, “Hey, the best thing we can do now is to go to war with the Holy Father.” pic.twitter.com/zYG3IuNivB

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) April 13, 2026

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This will end well.

Some genius in Trumpland decided, “Hey, the best thing we can do now is to go to war with the Holy Father.” pic.twitter.com/zYG3IuNivB

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) April 13, 2026

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Demented. In its claims, and in the tone it strikes toward the Vicar of Christ, the spiritual leader of 1.4 billion. https://t.co/8k8FhEb1vm

— Sohrab Ahmari (@SohrabAhmari) April 13, 2026

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Demented. In its claims, and in the tone it strikes toward the Vicar of Christ, the spiritual leader of 1.4 billion. https://t.co/8k8FhEb1vm

— Sohrab Ahmari (@SohrabAhmari) April 13, 2026

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POTUS arguing about having the “greatest stock market” versus a Pope and wondering why Republicans are on path for the worst midterms ever… https://t.co/Oxyk7F19p5

— Peter Schorsch (@PeterSchorschFL) April 13, 2026

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POTUS arguing about having the “greatest stock market” versus a Pope and wondering why Republicans are on path for the worst midterms ever… https://t.co/Oxyk7F19p5

— Peter Schorsch (@PeterSchorschFL) April 13, 2026

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Trump doesn’t realize what an absolute shitstorm he’s unleashing by acting so unhinged toward the Pope.

More then a few Catholics have obvious disagreements and dissentions from the Church, but just like when a nation or family is attacked by an outsider, a lot of us are going… https://t.co/Jgxt4j1ZRH

— Robert Kearney (@Robkearney1981) April 13, 2026

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More then a few Catholics have obvious disagreements and dissentions from the Church, but just like when a nation or family is attacked by an outsider, a lot of us are going… https://t.co/Jgxt4j1ZRH— Robert Kearney (@Robkearney1981) April 13, 2026\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Robert Kearney on Twitter / 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Trump doesn’t realize what an absolute shitstorm he’s unleashing by acting so unhinged toward the Pope.

More then a few Catholics have obvious disagreements and dissentions from the Church, but just like when a nation or family is attacked by an outsider, a lot of us are going… https://t.co/Jgxt4j1ZRH

— Robert Kearney (@Robkearney1981) April 13, 2026

Trump Hits Out At Starmer As UK Confirms It Won’t Join His Strait Of Hormuz Blockade

Posted on 12/04/2026 by Boris Clair

Donald Trump has launched another attack on Keir Starmer as it emerged the UK will not be involved in his plan to blockade the Strait of Hormuz.

The US president announced on Sunday that America and “other countries” will stop ships coming in and out of the vital waterway.

Around one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquid gas supply usually passes through the key shipping lane.

But it has been effectively closed since the start of the war, with Iran targeting tankers which try to sail through it unless they agree to pay a toll.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: “The Blockade will begin shortly. Other Countries will be involved with this Blockade.

“Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION. They want money and, more importantly, they want Nuclear. Additionally and, at an appropriate moment, we are fully “LOCKED AND LOADED,” and our Military will finish up the little that is left of Iran!”

However, it is understood the UK will not be part of the US effort, although British mine hunters are already in the area.

A government spokesperson would only say: “We continue to support freedom of navigation and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, which is urgently needed to support the global economy and the cost of living back home.

“The Strait of Hormuz must not be subject to tolling. We are urgently working with France and other partners to put together a wide coalition to protect freedom of navigation.”

Meanwhile, Trump used an interview with Fox News on Sunday to once again compare Keir Starmer to Hitler-appeasing 1930s prime minister Neville Chamberlain.

He said: “Nato is shameful. I mean, look at the United Kingdom.

“PM Starmer said ‘we’ll send the equipment after the war is over’. I said ‘you don’t need equipment when the war is over. You need the equipment before the war starts, or during the war’.

“He made a public statement that ‘we will send equipment after the war is over’, that’s a Neville Chamberlain statement.”

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said: “The UK should be working with other countries to get the US and Iran back to the negotiating table, not fanning the flames of war.

“It’s just days since Trump threatened to destroy a whole civilisation, and a return to war would be disastrous. The prime minister needs to work in lock-step with our reliable partners to secure a diplomatic end to this crisis.”

CNN Reporter Offers Insight Into Timing Of Melania Trump’s Epstein Remarks

Posted on 10/04/2026 by Boris Clair

CNN senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes offered some insight as to why first lady Melania Trump, seemingly out of the blue, attempted to distance herself from the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Thursday.

“I’m told by a number of White House officials that they were just absolutely stunned, particularly by the timing of these remarks,” Holmes told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Thursday night. “It sparked rumors all across the White House campus that she was trying to get ahead of something that most people must not know about.”

Holmes added that some sources close to Trump told her they were less surprised by the first lady’s remarks because she had reportedly been growing frustrated with the online discourse about her alleged relationship with Epstein.

“She’s never actually come out and flat out denied it, and she wanted an on-the-record denial,” Holmes said.

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Holmes: I am told by people who are close to her that they were a little bit less surprised because in private, Melania Trump has been growing increasingly frustrated with the online chatter about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and she’s never actually come out and flat… pic.twitter.com/Sbr3UWgM8q

— Acyn (@Acyn) April 9, 2026

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Holmes: I am told by people who are close to her that they were a little bit less surprised because in private, Melania Trump has been growing increasingly frustrated with the online chatter about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and she’s never actually come out and flat… pic.twitter.com/Sbr3UWgM8q

— Acyn (@Acyn) April 9, 2026

President Donald Trump told MS NOW that he did not know about the first lady’s statement ahead of time. He added that “she didn’t know [Epstein].”

However, Holmes said a source inside the White House told her the president was indeed aware of the first lady’s statement in advance.

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