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Good morning, Wake Up Right fam! We’re entering day four of the military conflict in Iran, and I’m curious - Where do you stand? Vote in today’s poll and add your thoughts. I’ll feature some of your responses in tomorrow’s newsletter.
🗳 Texas, North Carolina, & Arkansas hold primaries today
🛢 Oil jumped just 7% following Iranian operation
🍽 Trump to attend the White House Correspondents' Dinner
🆘 Biden released 700+ Iranians into US despite terrorism concerns
🇺🇸 On this day in 1931, the Star-Spangled Banner becomes U.S. National Anthem
Sources: CBS, Daily Wire, The Post Millennial, Fox News, History
Trump admin sends clear message: Iran won’t be another ‘Forever War’
The Trump administration is pushing back hard on comparisons to Iraq and Afghanistan, insisting the U.S. campaign against Iran is limited, targeted, and designed to end.
The details: After an initial weekend of relative silence, the White House launched a full-court messaging blitz on Monday – led by key figures like Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and President Donald Trump himself.
Sec. of War Hegseth said: “This is not Iraq. This is not endless. I was there for both,” he stated plainly. “Our generation knows better, and so does this president. He called the last 20 years of nation-building wars dumb, and he’s right. This is the opposite.”
V.P. Vance told Fox News: “There’s just no way that Donald Trump is going to allow this country to get into a multi-year conflict with no clear end in sight.”
So, what is the objective? Trump spoke to the press yesterday and laid it out:
“First, we’re destroying Iran’s missile capabilities… Second, were annihalating their navy… Third, we’re ensuring that the world’s number one sponsor of terror can never obtain a nuclear weapon… And finally, we’re ensuring that the Iranian regime cannot arm, fund, and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders.”
Why the full-court press? As I mentioned in yesterday's newsletter, there is friction inside the MAGA base on these operations in Iran. Notable figures like Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly – who both campaigned for Trump – have opposed the actions.
The numbers: A fresh poll from Reuters found that while 73% of Republicans back the strikes, just 1 in 4 Americans favor them.
The timeline: President Trump told the press yesterday: "We're already substantially ahead of our time projections, but... we projected 4-5 weeks.”
Real talk from G: The Trump base and the broader 2024 coalition are extremely wary of Middle Eastern wars after seeing the disaster that played out for over a decade under Bush and Obama. Their skepticism is only amplified by the pain they're feeling from an economy that has yet to bounce back from the Biden era. It’s good that Team Trump is out in front of the American people making their case.
Supreme Court shuts down California’s radical trans law
The Supreme Court blocked California’s law banning schools from notifying parents if their child changes gender identity at school – a major victory for parental rights.
The details: In a 6–3 decision, the Court granted an emergency appeal from the Thomas More Society, representing two sets of Catholic parents. The majority said the parents are “likely to succeed” on their Free Exercise Clause claim, ruling that California’s policy burdens their sincere religious beliefs about sex and gender.
The majority wrote that California tried to “cut out the primary protectors of children’s best interests: their parents.”
Back up: In 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a radical anti-parent law banning schools from requiring staff to tell families about a student’s gender identity change and requiring teachers to use students’ preferred pronouns.
Quote: Thomas More Society Executive Vice President and Head of Litigation Peter Breen wrote in a statement:
“California built a wall of secrecy between parents and their own children, and the Supreme Court just tore it down.”
Zoom out: The ruling comes as the Trump administration puts federal pressure on the states to eliminate transgender policies like this and ones that put biological boys in girls’ locker rooms, bathrooms, and on sports teams.
The last word goes to the majority, who wrote in their opinion that parents have long had “primary authority with respect to ‘the upbringing and education of children,’ including ‘the right not to be shut out of participation in decisions regarding their children’s mental health.”
[Source: Daily Caller, SCOTUS Blog]
💬 President Trump said he authorized the strike that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei before Tehran could act on alleged plots against him, telling ABC: "I got him before he got me. They tried twice … I got him first." Read more.
🕌 The Manassas Mosque near Washington, D.C., has pledged its loyalty to Iran’s deceased Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Read more.
🗺 The Supreme Court has blocked Democrat-run New York from redrawing its Congressional map to eliminate the only Republican district in NYC. Read more.
💔 A third victim has died following the mass shooting in Austin, Texas, carried out by a man wearing a "Property of Allah" sweatshirt. Read more.
🛢 Saudi Arabia was forced to temporarily shut down its Ras Tanura oil refinery after it was hit by multiple Iranian suicide drones. Read more.
🇱🇧 Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has announced “the immediate ban of all Hezbollah security and military activities… considering them illegal.” Read more.
🎖 President Trump awarded three Medals of Honor: to Army Master Sgt. Roderick W. Edmonds for saving hundreds of American Jewish soldiers in World War II, Army Command Sgt. Major Terry P. Richardson for saving nearly 100 lives in Vietnam, and Army Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis for giving his life to save a Polish ally in Afghanistan. Read more.
🇬🇧 President Trump is “very disappointed” in British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over his blocking America from using joint military bases to strike Iran. Read more.
🎥 Watch Hillary Clinton LOSE IT when Rep. Nancy Mace calls out her Epstein ties. Watch.
🎥 Here's what Trump told Rush Limbaugh about Iran in 2020. Watch.
🎥 Smoothie King in Michigan refuses to serve a man in a Trump hoodie. Watch.
🎥 Iranian state TV anchor pretends to cry over Khamenei's death. Watch.
🎥 Bill Clinton calls out Democrats' Trump-Epstein narrative. Watch.
🎥 Trump grieves for U.S. servicemembers killed in action. Watch.
🎥 The mental demise of Jim Carrey, due to Trump Derangement Syndrome Watch.
🎥 Jesse Watters asks JD Vance point-blank: Will the U.S. repeat the mistakes of past Middle East wars? Watch.
🎥 Unhinged protestor harasses young conservative investigator Nick Shirley. Watch.
🎥 Watch a journalist who was marked for death by Iran's "Supreme Leader" learn he was killed. Watch.
🎥 Horrifying moment a lion grabs a 10-year-old girl through its cage. Watch.
🎥 Go long: If you’ve got 9 hours to kill, the House released the full depositions of Bill and Hillary Clinton related to the Epstein scandal. Watch.
