Today in Politics, Bulletin 329. 3/16/26
… NYT OpEd from 25-year FBI agent Jacqueline Maguire: “I left the FBI last year, having held multiple leadership roles overseeing counterterrorism and criminal investigations. I was pushed out of my post along with 7 other senior executives. The bureau remains strong, thanks to the talented and dedicated men and women serving within it, but the ousters of dozens of experienced personnel since Trump took office - some of whom handled threats from Iran - represent a dangerous fact about the current leadership.”
… “Kash Patel is consumed by politically motivated revenge and conspiracy theories, distracting the FBI, once again, from the danger of terrorism. The spreading war with Iran significantly elevates the regime’s threat to Americans at home and abroad, meaning that the FBI must return its focus to its core work: protecting Americans from terrorists and cyberattacks and halting foreign intelligence operations and espionage.”
… “Patel’s retaliatory firings are particularly harmful now. Dismissing personnel out of spite, for no valid reason, makes the US less safe - especially when some of those fired employees were steeped in the sort of counterintelligence work that prevents Iranian attacks.”
… NY Post: “The day Operation Epic Fury began in Iran, Kash Patel announced he was putting the bureau’s counterterrorism and intelligence teams on ‘high alert’ for threats to the homeland over concerns about terror attacks from Tehran or its proxies.”
… “At Old Dominion Univ in VA, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a naturalized US citizen from Sierra Leone who previously had been jailed over an Islamic State terror plot, yelled ‘Allahu akbar’ before opening fire in an ROTC classroom, murdering the instructor, Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, before being killed by his students. How could a guy on supervised release, who was freed from prison 16 months ago after serving 8 years for trying to carry out an Islamic State attack, possibly be allowed to attack again?”
… One former high-ranking FBI agent: “This person should have been made known to the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, Threat Screening Center, and Criminal Justice Information Services at a minimum. The National Counterterrorism Center should have been engaged on some level, as well.”
… “It is an outcome insiders have warned about, even before Patel gutted the elite FBI counterintelligence team that investigated Iranian threats in America. The dozen or so agents, analysts and support staff who were fired last month from the CI-12 unit had worked on special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation against Trump.”
… Another former agent: “The FBI should be directly questioned on these matters and be able to provide clear responses on their prior knowledge and applicable actions for the [most recent] two attackers. If not, then this violence will continue to happen and intensify. Not sure if any of these components were actually aware and engaged on any level, even in the current elevated threat environment.”
… So much for the FBI being on “high alert.”
… Trump told Financial Times that China and Europe should be helping him with Iran: “It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there. If there’s no response or if it’s a negative response I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO.”
… “We have a thing called NATO. We’ve been very sweet. We didn’t have to help them with Ukraine. Ukraine is thousands of miles away from us. But we helped them. Now we’ll see if they help us. Because I’ve long said that we’ll be there for them but they won’t be there for us. And I’m not sure that they’d be there.”
… But NATO countries aren’t interested in bailing out Trump. Danish PM Mette Frederiksen even told Berlingske that the US is no longer their closest ally: “When you ask who our closest allies are today, it is Europe, the Nordic countries, and partners such as Canada.”
… German Chancellor Merz: “When will this war end, and with what strategy will this war be brought to an end? Those questions haven’t really been answered. At the moment, from my point of view, there is therefore no reason to think about military protection of the sea routes. I want to say it very clearly once again: Germany is not part of this war, and we do not want to become one.”
… Trump: “I’ve always felt that was a weakness of NATO. We were going to protect them. But I always said, when in need, they won’t protect us. And if we need their mine boats that they may have because of a situation that we have, they should be jumping to help us because we’ve helped them for years stay out of wars.”
… “We have some countries where we have 45,000 soldiers protecting them. And we want to know, do you have any mine sweepers? ‘Well, we would rather not get involved’. I said, you mean for 40 years we’re protecting you and you don’t want to get involved in something that is very minor, very few shots going to be taken because they don’t have many shots left? But they said, ‘we’d rather not get involved’.”
… Karoline Leavitt was asked about Trump’s comments: Q: Trump says other countries should step up to safeguard ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Why should other countries that were not consulted about this war now put their troops in harm’s way? Leavitt: Because these other countries are benefitting greatly from the US military taking out the threat of Iran.”
… Trump: “They weren't supposed to go after all these other countries in the Middle East. So they hit Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait. Nobody expected that. We were shocked.”
… Former Rep. Marge Greene on CNN: “It’s really insulting to watch America’s position in the world where the president just bullies and basically harasses foreign leaders and many of our allies to the point now where he’s calling them in to help open the strait and many of them are not responding.”
… Host: “You broke with Trump in part because you felt he was too focused on foreign affairs. Greene: Well just to be clear, the president broke with me over the Epstein files. He called me a traitor because I stood with women who were raped.”
… Trump: “It’s a little unfair. You win a war, but they have no right to be doing what they’re doing. But we’re hitting them very hard. Today is a big day. We’re pounding an area that has very much to do with the straight. We are pounding that coast. We are pounding it. Like, really pounding it hard.”
… Axios: “For 5 years in office, Trump has operated with intuition, impulse and improvisation. The Iran war, now entering Week 3, is the first time Trump’s style has made it impossible for him to easily talk or improvise his way out. Trump could wind up trapped between his caprice and the realities of war. He expects a quick, clear victory. But unlike tariffs that can be swiftly imposed and rescinded, the war’s outcome is beyond unilateral control and quick fixes. And Iran gets a say.”
… I would take issue with the statement that this is the “first time.” Some of us remember covid.
… “3 different people in the admin and in allied countries believe the instability in the Middle East and US involvement could continue until Sept, even if the war shifts to a low-intensity conflict. Trump has grown accustomed to doing what he wants and then quickly improvising if things go south. But this time, some in his inner circle have what one official called ‘buyer’s remorse’ - growing fears that attacking Iran was a mistake.”
… Source close to the admin: “He ended up saying, ‘I just want to do it. He grossly overestimated his ability to topple the regime short of sending in ground troops.” The source said Trump was “high on his own supply” after last summer’s quick strikes in Iran and January’s abduction of Nicolás Maduro.
… Trump said he’s not stopping with Iran: Trump: “Cuba, it's a beautiful island. Great weather. I will be having the honor of taking Cuba. Whether I free it, take it. I think I can do anything I want with it, if you want to know the truth.”
… Axios’s Barak Ravid: “A direct communications channel between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US envoy Steve Witkoff has been reactivated in recent days, according to a US official and a source with knowledge.”
… Iran FM Seyed Abbas Araghchi denied it, and said it follows a pattern of Trump admin officials laudering false stories through Axios reporters Ravid and Marc Caputo to manipulate oil and financial markets: “My last contact with Mr. Witkoff was prior to his employer's decision to kill diplomacy with another illegal military attack on Iran. Any claim to the contrary appears geared solely to mislead oil traders and the public.”
… Amwaj Media editor Mohammed Ali Shabai: “I'm told by usually reliable, senior sources in Tehran that this is categorically false. One source even hinted at the Trump team supposedly making things up to manipulate energy markets. As always, time will tell what's really been going on.”
… Trump returned from another golf weekend in Palm Beach to hold an event today dealing with this ballroom and remodeling of the Kennedy Center. He took some questions on Air Force One:
Q - Your PAC sent out fundraising email using you at the dignified transfer, do you think that is appropriate? Trump: I do. I didn’t see it. Who are you with? Reporter: ABC. Trump: I think it’s maybe the most corrupt news organizations on the planet. I think they’re terrible. OK, I don’t want any more questions from ABC.”
On the Iran War causing gas prices to spike: “Prices are going to come tumbling down as soon as it’s over and it’s going to be over pretty quickly.”
… Mohsen Dehnavi, spokesperson for Iran’s Expediency Council: “It has only been 10 days since the Strait of Hormuz was closed. Look, Trump, at the situation your people are in. Look at the lines forming at gas stations, people filling cans and gallons. Now imagine that after some time the Bab al-Mandab Strait is also closed. Then you will find yourselves in a truly miserable situation.”
Trump claimed Iran wants to surrender: “We’re talking to them. I don’t know that I want to make a deal. Nobody even knows who you are dealing with because most of their leadership has been killed. So, I don’t even know if I want to make a deal. They want to make a deal badly.”
… Drop Site News: “Trump has publicly claimed that Iran wants negotiations, but Iranian officials say the opposite is happening behind the scenes. According to them, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff privately contacted Iran’s FM seeking talks, yet Tehran ignored the messages and says it will not negotiate for now.”
… Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi: “When we say we don’t want a ceasefire, it isn’t because we seek war. This war must end in a way that ensures our enemies never again think of repeating these attacks. They have now seen what kind of nation they are dealing with, one that will defend itself and will take this fight as far as necessary.”
“Their military is defeated. But all you need is a few people dropping mines here and there, and you know you louse it up. I’m demanding that these other countries protect their territory. They should help us.”
… Bloomberg: “UAE oil production has fallen to about 2 million barrels a day from 3.56 million barrels a day last month. Kuwait’s oil production has dropped to about 1.3 million barrels a day from 2.6 million barrels a day last month.”
“You could make the case that maybe we shouldn’t even be there at all. It’s almost like we do it for habit—but we also do it for some very good allies that we have in the Middle East.”
… Arnaud Bertrand: “Unreal. The man literally breaks the global energy supply, directly affecting the lives of billions of people and then is like ‘wait, should we even be there? It’s not our problem after all.’ The level of thoughtlessness and hubris is genuinely off the charts.”
“We’re always there for NATO. We’re helping them with Ukraine. Doesn’t affect us. It will be very interesting to see what country doesn’t help us with a very small endeavor.”
… State Dept spokesperson Tammy Bruce on Fox: “We know this weekend was filled with diplomacy. That is the president’s forte. They worked through this weekend to gather up the countries that will indeed help us. I trust him. It’s easy to do with President Trump. He’s transparent, he’s clear, and he gets the job done. It’s exactly the right man at the right time.”
… Sen. John Fetterman on Fox: “Iran doesn’t have any military capables (his word) left other than just a random drone here and there trying to produce chaos, and have that get amplified and platformed in the NYT and whatever to make it seem like the world’s on fire, and that’s just not there.”
… Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was asked on CNBC what the admin’s timeline is for the war ending: “It’s 2 weeks. 2 weeks. I know the media likes to move things along, and that’s part of the Iranian strategy. It’s very unfortunate that because of a dislike for president Trump the mainstream media is trying to make this into some crisis that it’s not.”
… Two weeks.
… Bessent was asked about sanctions being lifted on Russian oil: “We gave a 30 day waiver for Russian oil that was already on the water, about 130 million barrels. That’s a lot of oil. Host: It’s about 1.5 days global supply, Mr Secretary. Bessent: No no. That’s bad framing.
… It is factually true. It does little for the global oil supply but it does enrich Russia and will help them greatly to finance their war machine.
… EU's Kaja Kallas : “Following the US decision to ease sanctions on Russian oil, Europe will maintain sanctions and continue to move away from Russian fossil fuels.”
… Host to Bessent: “With every passing day, fertilizers, gas, everything is going up. The world is really worried about shortages and the inflationary effect here and abroad. Bessent: A lot of mainstream media is trying to make this into some crisis that it’s not.”
While the Mad King dithers, we have work to do. The next big No Kings Rally is right around the corner on March 28. As massive as the last one was, this one could be as good or better due to the war, despite tough weather in many parts of the country. I encourage everyone to check for one in their area here.
Also, don’t forget I will as always be doing my Top 15 Signs of No Kings awards. Many millions of people have viewed the past award winners on social media and substack. Originality, with a little bit of pissed off, wrapped up in some witty humor always gets my attention.
If you missed yesterday’s Bulletin, you can find it here. Thank you to all who read, share and subscribes to support my work.
… Commodities analyst Charlie Bilello: “Gas prices in the US have moved up to $3.72/gallon, their highest level since Oct 2023. The 27% spike over the last month ($2.93/gallon to $3.72/gallon) is the biggest we’ve seen in the past 30 years. Fertilizer prices have moved up to their highest levels since Oct 2022, rising 35%. About a third of global fertilizer supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz. This will drive food
