This Weekend in Politics, Bulletin 352.

… After an explosive story that Kash Patel has a serious drinking problem that is affecting his work published by The Atlantic, Patel took to social media and Fox to denounce the story and vowed that his lawyer will file a lawsuit for defamation on Monday. Patel’s lawyer has filed numerous unsuccessful defamation lawsuits for Trump-world figures in the past.

… The Atlantic: “On Friday, April 10, as Kash Patel was preparing to leave work for the weekend, he struggled to log into an internal computer system. He quickly became convinced that he had been locked out, and he panicked, frantically calling aides and allies to announce that he had been fired by the WH, according to 9 people familiar with his outreach. Two of these people described his behavior as a ‘freak-out.’”

… “News of his emotional outburst ricocheted through the bureau, prompting chatter among officials and, in some corners of the building, expressions of relief. It turned out that the answer was still Patel. He had not been fired. The access problem, two people familiar with the matter said, appears to have been a technical error, and it was quickly resolved.”

… “But Patel, according to multiple current officials, is deeply concerned that his job is in jeopardy. He has good reasons to think so—including some having to do with what witnesses described to me as bouts of excessive drinking.”

… Several officials said Patel is known for “obvious intoxication” at private clubs in DC and Vegas, forcing his staff to move early morning meetings to later in the day as he recovered. Officials also described instances where aides or security personnel had difficulty waking him. In one case, members of his security detail were unable to reach him behind locked doors, prompting a request for “breaching equipment” typically used by tactical teams.

… Patel posted: “Memo to the fake news - the only time I’ll ever actually be concerned about the hit piece lies you write about me will be when you stop. Keep talking, it means I’m doing exactly what I should be doing. And no amount of BS you write will ever deter this FBI from making America safe again and taking down the criminals you love.”

… Patel then went on Maria Bartiromo’s Fox show:

• Q - “The Atlantic alleges you have a drinking problem. What is your response? Patel: The results speak for the themselves. If the fake news mafia isn’t hitting you personally with baseless information, then you’re not doing your job..”

• Q - So you’re gonna sue them? Patel: Absolutely. It’s coming tomorrow. Q: Tomorrow you will be dropping a lawsuit against The Atlantic? Patel: Yes I will. For defamation. I won’t tolerate their attacks on me. If the fake news mafia wants to ring their drum beat as loud as they can they’re never gonna stop me.”

• Q - “Do you about whether or not you have any info to verify Trump’s claim that the 2020 election was rigged. Patel: We have the info that backs Trump’s claim, but I can’t get ahead of the DOJ. President Trump speaks truthfully when he says that.”

• Q - “Are you going to do anything about that? Patel: Absolutely. I am never going to let this go. They tried to rig the entire system. That’s something I’m not going to allow. We are going to be making arrests. It’s coming. I promise you it’s coming soon.”

… Russian state media posted a montage I made of about a dozen clips showing Kash with a persistent sniffling problem in interviews over the course of many months. They made me laugh when they referred to me in their caption as a “GOP deserter.” (I switched parties in 2020).

… Two days after Trump declared victory and announced with 13 posts on Truth Social in an hour that the Strait of Hormuz was open and Iran surrendered to all his demands, the strait remains closed, Iran says they’ve agreed to nothing, and the Trump admin is trying to put together another round of peace talks before Trump’s latest extension of his deadline expires on Tues.

… There were multiple conflicting reports throughout the day on Sunday about a second round of peace talks in Pakistan on Tues. The first set of contradictions came from Trump and WH officials over whether JD Vance will lead the US delegation again, and the second set was over Iran was even going to attend.

• ABC’s Jonathan Karl: “Mike Waltz tells me JD Vance will lead the American delegation to Islamabad for talks with Iran.”

• MS NOW’s Jacqueline Alemany: “President Trump just told MS NOW that VP Vance will not be attending due to security reasons; delegation will be led by Witkoff and Kushner, he said.”

• CNN’s Alayna Treene: “The WH tells CNN that VP Vance is traveling to Pakistan for talks, in addition to Witkoff and Kushner, despite POTUS saying Vance wasn’t attending. As for Trump’s comments this morning saying Vance wasn’t making the trip, a WH official told CNN: ‘Things changed’.”

… i24 News (Israel): “Iranian state media denies reports of an expected second round of talks with the US in Islamabad, claiming that reports in US media are part of a ‘blame game’ intended to to pressure Iran.”

… IRNA (Iran state media): "The excessive and unreasonable American demands, frequent changes of positions, constant contradictions, and the continuation of the so-called naval blockade, in violation of the ceasefire agreement, along with threatening rhetoric, have so far hindered the progress of the talks, and in these circumstances, there is no clear prospect for fruitful negotiations.”

… Journalist Abas Aslani: “Iranian sources are denying any plans for the next round of Iran and US negotiations. The announcement on Tues for the second round of talks by US and Pakistani officials is highly unusual because the Iranian side is fundamentally expressing ignorance of any such scheduling or program.”

… Former State Dept Iran expert Vali Nasr: “Araghchi’s tweet reflected an understanding in Tehran, likely based on what they heard from Pakistan, that if they took a positive step by opening Strait of Hormuz, US would reciprocate by lifting the blockade. But Trump kept the blockade in place, and through his many tweets, suggested that Iran was surrendering on the nuclear issue.”

… “This has only fed Iran’s suspicions about Trump and that Islamabad like Geneva is a diplomatic ruse before another military attack. The door to diplomacy is not closed, but it has now become considerably more difficult. Deliberately or not, Trump has undermined diplomacy and raised likelihood of more war.”

We make the entire Weekend Bulletin available to everyone, who are also able to participate in our lively comments section below. About the first third of the daily Bulletins during the week are available to everyone. If you missed Friday’s Bulletin, you can find it here.

Thank you to everyone who reads, shares and subscribes to my work here and watches Uncovered and Ask the Editor. I’m pretty confident that anyone who makes it through all that in a week is about as informed as any citizen can possibly be about what is happening.

… Maria Bartiromo: “I just spoke with the president this morning. He told me he is expecting Iran to sign an agreement tomorrow night in Pakistan and that all items have now been negotiated. However, the president said, if they do not sign the deal, the US will blow up every power plant and more in Iran.”

… Middle East analyst Danny Citrinowicz: “One thing has become evident over the past 24 hours: the regime is not deterred, and it is not prepared to compromise on any of its core interests. After 40 days of conflict, we are essentially back where we started.”

… “The problem is that it is far from clear that continuing the war will change that reality - likely not. The core problem, however, remains unchanged: the gap between the parties on the key substantive issues is still wide. That reality will make any meaningful agreement difficult to achieve. Moreover, Trump’s threats are unlikely to shift Iran’s strategic position.”

… “The US admin should also recognize a hard truth: what was not achieved during 40 days of conflict is unlikely to be secured through threats or unilateral moves. The risk is clear. If diplomacy fails, particularly under continued US pressure on Iran and in the absence of a credible alternative deterrent when escalation becomes increasingly likely. We are approaching a decisive moment (again).”

… Bloomberg: “Shipping in the Strait of Hormuz was at a near standstill early Sunday after Iran reversed its decision to reopen the waterway and fired on vessels attempting to pass, warning it would block transits as long as the US blockade of Iranian ports remained. Hormuz is one of several unresolved issues in peace talks, including Iran’s nuclear program and Israel’s ongoing invasion of Lebanon.”

… “The IRGC’s Navy issued a statement Saturday afternoon warning vessels not to leave their anchorages in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, and that approaching the strait “will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the violating vessel will be targeted.”

… AP: Iran’s joint military command said that “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state under strict management and control of the armed forces.” Two gunboats from IRGC opened fire on a tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the UK Maritime Trade Ops center said. TankerTrackers.com reported vessels were forced to turn around in the strait, including an Indian-flagged super tanker, after they were fired on by Iran.”

… Trump then posted: “Iran decided to fire bullets yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz - A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement! That wasn’t nice, was it? We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the US is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY! They’ll come down fast, they’ll come down easy and, if they don’t take the DEAL, it will be my Honor to do what has to be done, which should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years.”

… One of Trump’s many celebratory posts declaring victory on Friday included this one: “Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again. It will no longer be used as a weapon against the world! A GREAT AND BRILLIANT DAY FOR THE WORLD!!!”

… UN Ambassador Mike Waltz on ABC: Q - “Is the president really prepared to go back to full-on war? Is he prepared to destroy every power plant and bridge in Iran? Waltz: Well, all options are on the table, absolutely. That’s not a war crime. Q - He’s saying every bridge in the country. That’s not a war crime? Waltz: That would be an escalatory ladder.”

… Waltz then went on CBS: “Bridges, power plants that are run by the IRGC are absolute legitimate military targets, not only now, but have been historically. That is a false, fake, and ridiculous notion that this is some type of war crime.”

… Trump kicked reporters out of the Oval Office on Sat when they tried to ask him questions about his Iran peace claims. CBS reporter Olivia Rinaldi: “Tried to ask the President about two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz who were allegedly fired upon by Iranian gunboats. President Trump: ‘Out!’”

… Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ): “The Strait of Hormuz just closed again today, and the press are demanding answers on behalf of the American people. Trump kicks them out of the Oval Office. Shameful.”

… Energy Secretary Chris Wright on CNN: Q - “It’s not safe right not to go through the Strait of Hormuz. Correct? Wright: Correct. Tapper: When will it be? Wright: I think after a deal is reached.”

… WaPo reporter Josh Rogin on CNN: “Somebody shorted the oil markets by hundreds of millions of dollars exactly 20 minutes before Trump made his announcement that everything was going to be great. And if you see that once, it could be a coincidence. But that’s happened at least 3 times, if not more, since the war began. That’s a pattern.”

… “And what that suggests is that there’s rampant corruption and insider self-dealing going on with the president’s up and down predictions of what’s going to happen tomorrow in the negotiations and in the markets. We can’t prove it, but it seems like the corruption that we’re seeing in our govt, maybe not the President, but people who are in the know and the markets, is having a priority over the actual negotiations to end the war. And that’s a crazy thing that our system has never seen before.”

… Guardian: “16 bets made $100,000 each accurately predicted the timing of the US airstrikes against Iran on 27 Feb. Later, a single user would make over $550,000 after betting that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would topple, just moments before his assassination by Israeli forces. On 7 April, right before Trump announced a temporary ceasefire with Iran, traders bet $950m that oil prices would come down. They did.”

… “These bets and other well-timed wagers accurately predicted the precise timing of major developments in the US-Israel war with Iran, creating huge windfalls and raising concerns among lawmakers and experts over potential insider trading. Betting – once largely siloed to sporting events – has now spread to include contracts on news events where insider info could give some traders an advantage.”

… “For those who closely follow trading patterns, the rush of activity that happened before these events seem too big to simply be bets hedging on luck. Craig Holman with Public Citizen said he is skeptical about how bold the CFTC will be in its investigations given its current structure under the Trump admin.”

… Jerusalem Post: “Military advisers intentionally excluded Trump from the command room during the recent high-stakes extraction of a downed American airman in Iran, fearing his erratic temper would jeopardize the mission, the WSJ reported on Sunday, citing a senior admin official.”

… “The move came during a period of intense agitation for the president. Following the downing of a US jet by Iranian forces, Trump reportedly spent hours screaming at aides in a nearly empty West Wing. ‘If you look at what happened with Jimmy Carter - it cost them the election,’ Trump privately fretted.”

… “To mitigate the risk of impulsive interference, aides opted to provide the commander in chief with updates only at ‘meaningful moments,’ rather than the minute-by-minute tactical feeds being monitored by the NSC.”

… WSJ on Trump’s erratic behavior during the war: “Soon after Trump’s Easter post, aides fielded calls from Republican senators and Christian leaders. They asked, why would he say ‘Praise be to Allah’ on Easter morning? Why would he use the F-word? Trump swears profusely in private but usually calibrates it in public and on social media.”

… “When one adviser later asked him about it, he said he came up with the Allah idea himself. He said he wanted to seem as unstable and insulting as possible, believing it could bring the Iranians to the table. It was a language, he said, the Iranians would understand. But he was also concerned about the fallout. ‘How’s it playing?’ he asked advisers.”

… “On the Tues after Easter, he issued the most dramatic ultimatum of his presidency, saying that unless Iran struck a deal in 12 hours, a whole civilization would die. Again, the post was improvisational, and not part of a national security plan, the admin officials said.”

… Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) on Fox: “I don’t agree with Trump about this new holy war with the pope. I’m not Catholic, but I have great respect for Catholicism. And even if I didn’t, the pope is entitled to his opinion. Why do we want to have a fight with the pope? It’s a distraction. And the press just sucks it up like a Hoover Deluxe.”

… Former Rep. Marge Greene is now questioning the shooting at the Trump rally in Butler, PA during the campaign. She responded to this post on X from longtime MAGA activist Trisha Hope, who wrote this:

… “Following the inauguration, I found it odd that Trump wasn't going aggressively after those who allowed this to happen. He seemed to behave like it was no big deal. His Secret Service detail failed him massively, allowed him to be shot, and they allowed that perfectly timed photo op to take place.”

… “Instead of his SS detail being terminated as they should have been, Trump made the gentleman in the white shirt the HEAD of the Secret Service. Instead of losing his job Sean Curran was given a massive promotion.”

… “They allowed President Trump to stand up, exposing multiple potential kill shots, as the flag is gently lowered. Interesting that the other SS agents lower their heads as the perfectly time ICONIC photo is taken. Honestly, it couldn't have been scripted better if were to have been done in a studio.”

… “Since the attempt on his life, Trump has show no interest in investigating what really happened. He never mentions it, it's as if it never happened, except when he tells us, he took a bullet for us.”

… “As for Corey Comperatore, he was used in this plot, someone had to die otherwise, it would have been much easier to claim it was a HOAX. They killed Corey, likely because he was truly a real life hero, one people would rally behind and defend passionately, as they should. Then to top it off, they used Corey to their benefit at the convention. To this day his wife is begging for answers, answers she has repeatedly been denied. Sadly, they have no more use for her, she no longer matters. “

… “If you cannot look at this story, and use critical thinking skills and have at least some questions, you are the problem and we need you to snap out of it.”

… Greene responded to Hope’s post: “Extremely important post worth the read and consideration. Corey Comperatore’s family deserves to know the truth about Matthew Crooks and what happened in Butler. Trump, of all people, should be leading the charge. Why isn’t he? That’s the question.”

… Megyn Kelly: “I’m a fan of Pete Hegseth’s. However, I am not a fan of the praying and the constant references to God, Jesus and the Bible from the Pentagon while he’s announcing war plans. It makes me very uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable. I do not think those two things belong together. I much prefer the Dan Cain approach of just the facts.”

… “Religion, obviously it’s a major part of Pete’s life. That’s great, and I’m in favor of that. It doesn’t belong when you’re talking about our plans to wipe out people. Including possible civilians. As Trump continues to threaten, these two things do not belong together and I’m really uncomfortable with it. Notwithstanding my friendship with Pete, I feel the need to register my strong objection to what he’s doing.”

… Sen. Jon Ossoff gave another amazing campaign speech at a huge rally in GA this weekend, which prompted many to suggest that he would be a great presidential candidate in 2028 if he wins GA again in 2026:

• “How much do you guys know about Jared Kushner? He’s on the Saudi payroll for $2 billion. And now he’s leading American diplomacy in the Middle East, apparently, while at the very same time asking princes and sheikhs to give him billions more. Can you imagine a normal sitting US ambassador just hitting MBS for billions? But he’s a Trump, a royal, a princeling. The rules are for us, not for them.”

• “And it’s not just Jared. The Mar-a-Lago mafia has taken American corruption to spectacular new heights. Remember, while you pay more for everything, the first family’s wealth is growing by billions of dollars because they are crooks, and everybody knows it.”

• “We face a president who has embarked on this project not to lead us, but to rule us as subjects. He deifies and enriches himself as he adorns the WH in gold. As he indulges in careless militarism around the world, he plans a monument to himself so tall it will disrupt air traffic into our nation’s capital. For all this, the founders of our republic must be turning in their graves.”

• “I don’t know if you saw, but JD Vance was in GA this week. Don’t worry—no one showed up. The stadium was empty. But JD came to UGA to attack the pope two days after Trump depicted himself as Jesus Christ. The faithless president depicts himself as Christ while he plunges the nation into wars of choice, while he and his family rake in billions from foreign princes.”

• “13 brave Americans were killed and hundreds wounded. Thousands of civilians are dead. Skyrocketing inflation. Meanwhile, we replaced Ayatollah Khamenei with Ayatollah Khamenei. The regime is intact, along with its stockpile of uranium, which it only assembled after Trump shredded Obama’s Iran deal.”

• “On day 10 of the war, the president said the war is ‘very complete.’ Then, day 11: ‘going to be finished very quickly.’ Day 12: ‘we won.’ Day 21: ‘getting very close.’ Day 32: ‘leaving very soon.’ Day 40: ‘total and complete victory.’ Yesterday, Trump said Iran had opened the strait—except this morning, the strait was closed, and it looks like Iran hit a cargo ship.”

• “The regime is intact, along with its stockpile of uranium, which it only assembled after Trump shredded Obama’s Iran deal. The Obama admin had done actual work led by actual diplomats. Trump literally sends his golf buddy and his son-in-law.”

… Market analyst Charlie Bilello: Since the start of the Iran war:

Sulfur: +57%
Jet Fuel: +52%
Urea: +51%
Diesel: +48%
Gasoline: +36%
Fertilizer: +35%
Heating Oil: +32%
WTI Crude Oil: +28%
Brent Crude Oil: +26%
European Natural Gas: +21%
Coal: +12%
Palm Oil: +10%
Iron Ore: +8%
Rice: +7%

… AP: “North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea on Sunday, its neighbors said, days after the UN’s nuclear watchdog warned that North Korea was making ‘very serious’ advances in efforts to build nuclear weapons. Sunday’s launches came hours before S. Korean President Lee Jae Myung left the country to visit India and Vietnam.”

… Former Ecuadorian finance minister Guillaume Long: “The IMF is now in total panic mode with the unraveling of Javier Milei. So, they’re forking out more money in an attempt to stem the rising inflation, unemployment, and popular anger. It’s truly remarkable the extent to which the IMF has devastated Argentina’s economy and society.”

… UK journalist Patrick Henningsen: “As we predicted, Milei has destroyed the Argentina economy. He is a fraudster and a crypto Ponzi scammer, and best friend of Elon Musk.”

… Trump job approval rating drops 2 more points in the new NBC Poll:

• Job Approve-37%, Disapprove-63%.

• Approve of War-33%, Disapprove - 67%.

• Approve of handling of inflation and cost of living: Approve-32%, Disapprove-68%.

… Alex Jones: “We’re supposed to just sit here and love this crap as his poll numbers go straight down? All the polls show Republicans are going to lose the midterms by a landslide. A total and complete disaster! He’s made some deal with the deep state to throw the election to the Democrats.”

… WaPo: Trump was the featured speaker at a Turning Point USA rally in Phoenix at Dream City Church but didn’t come close to filling the building. A TPUSA spokeperson claimed only about 3,000 people attended - which would be about 60% of capacity - and that’s if you believe their numbers. Longtime supporters at the event said they were shocked Trump couldn’t fill the church.

… Trump voter Diane Niemann: “I was not planning to come to the event until I saw there was hardly a line to get in. I'm totally shocked.”

… MAGA activist Scott Presler was at another TPUSA event where hardly anyone showed up. Politico’s Adam Wren: “Roughly 50 people have gathered to hear Scott Presler at a TPUSA rally at the Johnson County Fairgrounds backing challengers to Indiana Senate GOP incumbents who voted against redistricting.”

… Politico: “Buckley Carlson has departed the WH, where he served as JD Vance’s deputy press secretary. News of Carlson’s planned departure comes as Trump and Tucker Carlson, Buckley’s dad, have increasingly been at odds over the war with Iran. On Friday, Trump called Tucker Carlson a ‘Low IQ person,’ and on Thursday Trump suggested that he ‘should see a good psychiatrist’ - two of the latest escalations in their ongoing feud.”

… Pete Buttigieg went to deep red Oklahoma to give a speech before a big crowd in Tulsa:

• “I’m really interested to know why you’re here. Maybe you share my belief that there is no such thing as a permanently red state, and you share my belief that there ought to be more people like me coming to places like OK to talk with everyone.”

• “Maybe you voted for Trump because when he said he was going to keep us out of foreign wars, you believed him. I can’t stop thinking about what it felt like when it was my turn to be going on one of those C-17 aircraft with a one-way ticket into a war zone, praying that the people who sent me there knew what they were doing. And we owe our service members a lot better than what’s going on in this Pentagon and in this WH.”

• “I’ll give the Turning Point folks a lot of strategic credit for going to a lot of different places. Going to these college campuses is kind of the equivalent, in their minds, of the way I feel when I go on Fox. The difference is, when I go on Fox, I’m telling the truth.”

• Asked for his advice on how people can break through to Trump voters: “That’s why I developed this very unexpected specialty of going to places like Fox and other conservative outlets, because how can I blame somebody for not embracing my point of view if they’ve literally never even heard it, right?”

• “Maybe when you see the president insult your faith by depicting himself as the risen Lord, healing somebody, you’ve got something to say about that. Especially since, after insulting your faith by circulating that image, he turned around and insulted your intelligence by saying he thought that was a picture of him being a doctor. By the way, he’s not a doctor either.”

• “My word of warning to my own political party is that we would make a terrible mistake if we thought that our job was to just take power somehow and then put everything back the way it was. That’s not what we’re here to do. We’re not out to go around and just find all the little bits and pieces of everything that they smashed and tape it together and say, ‘Here you go, I give you the world as it looked in 2023.’ That’s not going to work. It’s not what we need.”

• “So much has changed, and the truth is they are destroying things right and left. They’re destroying a lot of good, important things. They’re destroying some useless things too, because they’re destroying everything. So now we get a chance to put things together on different terms.”