The Outrage Report
1. The Iran War Nobody Asked For — And Nobody’s Winning
Three weeks into Trump’s surprise attack on Iran, launched February 28 without congressional authorization or allied consultation, the body count is rising and there’s no exit in sight. The war has killed at least 1,300 people in Iran, 850 in Lebanon, and 12 in Israel, with 13 U.S. service members killed and about 200 wounded. CBS News The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline jumped to $3.79, up from $2.98 before the war began — and diesel hit $5.04 a gallon, its highest level since December 2022. CBS News Trump promised it would be quick. His own White House now says four to six weeks — minimum. Meanwhile Iran has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, choking off 20% of the world’s oil supply, and Trump has no answer for it other than begging allies he’s spent years insulting to come clean it up.
2. Trump’s Own Counterterrorism Chief Just Called the War a Lie
This one stings. Joe Kent, Trump’s own director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned Tuesday, saying he “cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” adding that “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” CNBC Kent is no liberal — he’s a decorated Green Beret, former MAGA candidate, and Trump loyalist. When your own people start walking out the door saying the war was manufactured, that’s not spin — that’s a confession. Trump brushed it off, calling Kent “a pretty nice guy” but “very weak on security.” The Hill The MAGA coalition is visibly cracking over this war, and the cracks are widening by the day.
3. Allies Are Saying No — And Trump Is Threatening to Leave NATO
Trump launched a war, made a mess, and then demanded everyone else clean it up. It’s not going well. European leaders are reluctant to join a conflict Trump started without consulting them, The Washington Post and the EU’s top diplomat flatly said “nobody is ready to put their people in harm’s way in the Strait of Hormuz.” euronews Britain, Germany, Japan, South Korea — all said no. Trump’s response? He mused that leaving NATO is something to “think about” after allies refused to secure the Hormuz strait. euronews So the man who started an unauthorized war in the Middle East, alone, is now threatening to blow up the most successful military alliance in history because other countries won’t bail him out. This is what “America First” looks like in practice — America alone.
4. The SAVE America Act — Voter Suppression Dressed Up as Election Security
While the Iran war burns, Trump is simultaneously trying to gut American democracy at home. The SAVE America Act would require Americans to show proof of citizenship — like a passport or birth certificate — to register to vote in federal elections, and implement photo ID requirements for voting. CBS News The catch? Around 21 million Americans don’t have documents proving their citizenship readily available, and 2.6 million Americans lack government-issued photo ID of any kind — with low-income and minority voters, and people who’ve changed their names like married women, most likely to be affected. CNBC Trump has made his intent crystal clear — he told a social media audience the act is necessary for Republicans to “guarantee the midterms.” NBC News Not for democracy. For Republicans. He said the quiet part loud, again.
5. DHS Is Shut Down and Trump Is Holding It Hostage
The Department of Homeland Security has been partially shut down since February 14, and instead of fixing it, Trump is using it as leverage. Trump has said he won’t sign any legislation — including the bill to reopen DHS — until the SAVE America Act passes in the version he wants, complete with anti-trans provisions he’s now demanding be added. The 19th News The result? TSA staffing shortages are causing massive airport security delays, embassy security worldwide is under review after nearly 300 attacks on U.S. installations in Iraq alone. Democrats are demanding changes at DHS after federal officers shot and killed two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis. NBC News Trump’s answer to all of it is: pass my voter suppression bill first, or the lights stay off. This is government by hostage-taking.
6. Trump’s “Latin America Military Operations Are Just the Beginning”
Buried under the Iran war headlines, something alarming is quietly expanding in your backyard. A top Pentagon official told lawmakers Tuesday that existing military operations targeting Latin American drug cartels are “just the beginning,” and left open the possibility of deploying ground forces even as lethal boat strikes against alleged smugglers continue indefinitely. Just Security The official cited a 20% reduction in suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean and a 25% reduction in Eastern Pacific traffic — numbers that sound good until you ask how many of those “alleged smugglers” were actually innocent civilians. With no congressional authorization, no clear rules of engagement, and no exit strategy — sound familiar? — the U.S. military is conducting open-ended offensive operations in Latin America. The resistance sites should be all over this one.