Today in Politics, Bulletin 345. 4/9/26

… Melania Trump addressed the media today on Epstein in a surprise statement, although she took no questions from reporters. She lashed out at people connecting her with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, and named several people she has recently filed lawsuits against for social media posts and television commentary:

• “The lies linking me with Jeffrey Epstein need to end today. I've never been friends with Epstein. I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice, Maxwell. My email reply to Maxwell cannot be categorized as anything more than casual correspondence.”

• “I am not Epstein's victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. I met my husband by chance at the NYC party in 1998. This initial encounter with my husband is documented and detailed in my book.”

• “Numerous fake images and statements about Epstein and me have been percolating on social media for years now. Be cautious about what you believe. These images and stories are completely false. I am not a witness in connection with any of Epstein's crimes.”

• “I was not a participant, was never on Epstein's plane, never visited his private island. I have never been legally accused or convinced of a crime in connection with Epstein's sex trafficking, abuse of minors, and other repulsive behavior.”

• “The false smears about me from mean-spirited and politically motivated individuals and entities looking to cause damage to my good name to gain financially and climb politically must stop. My attorneys and I have fought these unfounded and baseless lies with success and will continue to maintain my sound reputation without hesitation.”

… Epstein survivors issued a joint statement responding to Melania: “First Lady Melania Trump is now shifting the burden onto survivors under politicized conditions that protect those with power: DOJ, law enforcement, prosecutors, and the Trump admin, which has still not fully complied with the Epstein Transparency Act.”

… House Oversight ranking member Robert Garcia: “We agree with First Lady Melania Trump’s call for a public hearing with the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein. We encourage Chairman Comer to respond to the First Lady’s request and schedule a public hearing immediately.”

… Garcia on MS NOW: “The First Lady said two things: 1) She pushed back on Acting AG Todd Blanche and her husband’s efforts to kill this investigation. 2) She joined our efforts to call for a public hearing where survivors who choose to do so have an opportunity to testify.”

… Fox Senior WH Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich said Melania’s statement "came out of left field" for reporters at the WH: "We had no heads up on this. We're not getting any information from them now, including whether or not the president was aware she would be making this statement. It's unclear to us if she is reacting to something that's already happened, already come out, or getting ahead of a story that might be about to drop. We don't really know."

… MS NOW reporter Jacqueline Alemany: “Just got off a quick call with President Trump who said he didn’t ‘know anything about’ FLOTUS’ statement prior to her on camera appearance, but that he was in a meeting about the war and couldn’t speak further.”

… Trump then unleashed a deranged tirade on Truth Social right after that, personally attacking Tucker Carlson, Marge Greene, Candace Owens, Megyn Kelly, Alex Jones and other longtime supporters. I will post this one in it’s entirety exactly as he wrote it. And he definitely wrote this one.

“I know why Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones have all been fighting me for years, especially by the fact that they think it is wonderful for Iran, the Number One State Sponsor of Terror, to have a Nuclear Weapon — Because they have one thing in common, Low IQs. They’re stupid people, they know it, their families know it, and everyone else knows it, too! Look at their past, look at their record. They don’t have what it takes, and they never did! They’ve all been thrown off Television, lost their Shows, and aren’t even invited on TV because nobody cares about them, they’re NUT JOBS, TROUBLEMAKERS, and will say anything necessary for some “free” and cheap publicity. Now they think they get some “clicks” because they have Third Rate Podcasts, but nobody’s talking about them, and their views are the opposite of MAGA — Or I wouldn’t have won the Presidential Election in a LANDSLIDE. MAGA agrees with me, and just gave CNN a 100% Approval Rating of “TRUMP,” not Hand Flailing Fools like Tucker Carlson, who couldn’t even finish College, he was a broken man when he got fired from Fox, and he’s never been the same — Perhaps he should see a good psychiatrist! Or Megyn Kelly, who nastily asked me the now famous, “Only Rosie O’Donnell,” question, or “Crazy” Candace Owens, who accuses the Highly Respected First Lady of France of being a man, when she is not, and will hopefully win lots of money in the ongoing lawsuit. Actually, to me, the First Lady of France is a far more beautiful woman than Candace, in fact, it’s not even close! Or Bankrupt Alex Jones, who says some of the dumbest things, and lost his entire fortune, as he should have, for his horrendous attack on the families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims, ridiculously claiming it was a hoax. These so-called “pundits” are LOSERS, and they always will be! Now Fake News CNN, The Failing New York Times, and all of the other Radical Left “News” Organizations, are “hailing” them, and giving them “positive” press for the first time in their lives. They’re not “MAGA,” they’re losers, just trying to latch on to MAGA. As President, I could get them on my side anytime I want to, but when they call, I don’t return their calls because I’m too busy on World and Country Affairs and, after a few times, they go “nasty,” just like Marjorie “Traitor” Brown, but I no longer care about that stuff, I only care about doing right for our Country. MAGA is about WINNING and STRENGTH in not allowing Iran to have Nuclear Weapons. MAGA is about MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and these people have no idea how to do that, BUT I DO, because THE UNITED STATES IS NOW THE “HOTTEST” COUNTRY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD! President DONALD J. TRUMP

… Independent journalist Wajahat Ali: “My speculation: Michael Wolff has said Epstein told him the first time Trump and Melania had sex was on Epstein's Lolita Express Jet. He might release the audio of their interview or a similar story might confirm some of the sordid details. Melania is trying to get ahead of it.”

… CBS: “Survivors of the deadliest Iranian attack on US forces since the war began have disputed the Pentagon’s description of events and said their unit in Kuwait was left dangerously exposed when 6 service members were killed and more than 20 wounded. Speaking publicly for the first time, members of the targeted unit offered a detailed account of the attack and its harrowing aftermath from the perspective of those on the ground.”

… The members disputed the description of events from Pete Hegseth, who described the drone as a ‘squirter’ - in that it squirted through the defenses of a fortified unit inside Kuwait. One injured soldier: “Painting a picture that ‘one squeaked through’ is a falsehood. I want people to know the unit … was unprepared to provide any defense for itself. It was not a fortified position.”

… “We moved closer to Iran, to a deeply unsafe area that was a known target. I don’t think there was a good reason ever articulated.” He said they were protected by little more than a thin layer of vertical standing blast barricades that did not provide cover from above: “From a bunker standpoint, that’s about as weak as one gets.”

… Asked to describe the degree of fortification, he responded: “I mean, I would put it in the none category. From a drone defense capability … none.” A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on the soldiers’ claims.

… AP: “A tentative ceasefire in the Iran war staggered Thursday under the weight of Israel’s intense bombardment of Beirut, Tehran’s continued chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, and uncertainty over whether negotiators can find common ground on a range of other differences. Hours after the ceasefire was announced, Israel pounded Beirut with airstrikes, resulting in the deadliest day in the country since the war began on Feb. 28.”

… “Iran and the US appeared to try to pressure each other. Semiofficial news agencies in Iran suggested forces have mined the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for the world’s oil whose closure has proved Tehran’s greatest strategic advantage in the conflict. Trump, meanwhile, warned that US forces would hit Iran even harder than before if it did not fulfill the agreement.”

… “But what that agreement is remains in deep dispute. Beyond whether Lebanon is included, there are questions over what will happen to Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, how and when normal traffic will resume through the strait, and what happens to Iran’s ability to launch missile attacks in the future. The US and Iran are due to meet in Pakistan for talks this weekend.”

… CNBC: The Strait of Hormuz has not opened to ship traffic after the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, said the CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company on Thursday. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber: “This moment requires clarity. So let’s be clear: the Strait of Hormuz is not open. Access is being restricted, conditioned and controlled.”

… Iran has made clear that ships must obtain its permission to pass through the Strait, Al Jaber said. “That is not freedom of navigation. That is coercion.” ADNOC is the UAE’s state-owned oil company. The UAE is the third-largest oil producer in OPEC, pumping 3.4 million barrels per day before the war broke out on Feb. 28.

… “Trump said Tuesday that the ceasefire was subject to Iran agreeing to the complete, immediate and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz. But ship traffic through the strait has not picked up since the ceasefire took effect, freight analysts have told CNBC. Traffic remains at the slow trickle that has been observed during most of the war.”

… Trump posted on Truth Social today: “There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait - They better not be and, if they are, they better Stop!”

… We have never looked more feckless and ridiculous to the entire world.

… Metro (UK): “Israeli strikes rained down on residential areas and estates in central Beirut without warning, hours after a ceasefire was announced between the US and Iran. Israel has said the agreement does not extend to its conflict with the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah in Lebanon. The IDF launched more than 100 strikes on Hezbollah targets within 10 minutes in Beirut, southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa valley.”

… “At least 254 people have been killed by Israeli strikes across Lebanon today, according to civil defence authorities. The highest death toll was ⁠in the capital Beirut, where Israeli strikes killed 91 people. These tolls are expected to rise. At least one apartment building was struck as emergency responders searched charred vehicles.”

… Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian: “The repeated aggression by the Zionist entity against Lebanon is a flagrant violation of the initial ceasefire agreement and a dangerous indicator of deceit and lack of commitment to potential accords. The continuation of these aggressions will render negotiations meaningless; our hands will remain on the trigger, and Iran will never abandon its Lebanese brothers and sisters.”

… Iran Parliament Speaker MB Ghalibaf: “Lebanon and Iran’s allied groups are formally included in the ceasefire framework. Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif publicly reinforced that this position is firm and non-negotiable. Ceasefire violations carry explicit costs and STRONG responses. Extinguish the fire immediately.”

… Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi: “The strategic patience of Iran has limits. A ceasefire is not a blank check for the Zionist regime to continue its aggressions under the cover of mediation. Israel is using the pause in hostilities to reposition itself to strike strategic targets, which constitutes a blatant violation of the agreed terms. Any collapse of this fragile truce will fall directly on the credibility of US commitments in the region.”

… Netanyahu: “We still have objectives to complete, and we will achieve them either through agreement or by renewing the fighting. Our finger is on the trigger. Iran is weaker than ever, Israel is stronger than ever. That is the bottom line of this campaign so far. We went to war shoulder to shoulder with my friend President Trump. Such a partnership between Israel and the US against our greatest enemy has never existed before.”

… Tucker Carlson: “It’s time to establish a healthy relationship where Israel can pay its own bills, fund its own military, and act within the constraints imposed by its own economy and population. Most countries live with neighbors that don’t like them, with whom they have testy relationships, but they make accommodations because they have no choice. There’s no country in the world that acts with total impunity because it knows a much larger country will backstop it no matter what it does.”

… NYT: “The fate of highly enriched uranium in Iran remains uncertain after US and Iranian officials agreed to a two-week cease-fire, bringing 40 days of war to a pause. The IAEA estimated in a Feb report that Iran had about 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium as of June 2025. The cease-fire deal did not appear to address the uranium issue.”

… “Some former Israeli security officials said that Israelis were concerned that the cease-fire could hold beyond two weeks without an agreement to ensure the highly enriched uranium was removed from Iran. Other officials expressed confidence that if Trump makes a deal with Iran during the cease-fire, the agreement would ensure the removal of the uranium because that was a top priority for both the US and Israel.”

… WSJ: “The WH is considering a plan to punish some members of the NATO alliance that Trump thinks were unhelpful to the US and Israel during the Iran war. The proposal would involve moving US troops out of NATO member countries deemed unhelpful to the Iran war effort and stationing them in countries that were more supportive.”

… Financial Times: “Iran will demand that shipping companies pay tolls in cryptocurrency for oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Hamid Hosseini, spokesperson for Iran’s Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Union: “Iran needs to monitor what goes in and out of the strait to ensure these two weeks aren’t used for transferring weapons. Everything can pass through, but the procedure will take time for each vessel, and Iran is not in a rush.”

… “Decisions on the conditions for passing the strait are taken by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Hosseini’s remarks suggest Iran will require any tankers to use the northerly route close to its coastline, raising questions over whether western or Gulf state-linked vessels will be willing to risk transit.”

… National security analyst Marc Polymeropoulos: “This cease fire agreement seems to be shaky to even unraveling. On multiple levels. Obviously there is some disagreement over what was agreed to. Perhaps that is because we have no experts involved. Same team that did those multipoint agreements in Gaza and Ukraine. That all failed.The Steve and Jared show. No state department experts, etc. - why are we surprised this cease fire agreement is a mess?

… “Lebanon obviously not included in the deal. Israel has been hammering Hezbollah targets, killing hundreds, according to Lebanese authorities. The UAE air force hit Iran. Iran launching missiles and drones at the Gulf. Only adherent to this cease fire is the US. Will see if today is better.”

… “Meanwhile, Iran states they indeed are setting up a toll booth at the strait of Hormuz. That is stunning we agreed to this. So they will gain huge revenue from this agreement. This is a major defeat for the US - Iran has the leverage and the security/economic card. Didn’t the GOP howl about Obama…and the bucketloads of money the Iranians got? This is actually hard to contemplate that we agreed to this.”

… “In the end, there is a shaky cease fire. Yet the strait is a toll booth. Zero progress on the Iran nuke program. Or proxies. Yes, we degraded the Iranian military. But that is just one part of the war objectives. Remember Trump talked of the nuke file as paramount. Regime is more extreme, not less. Trump is lying. It’s hard to respond each time he says that. There is not a single Iran expert who agrees with this.”

… Shanaka Perera: “Someone sold $950 million worth of oil futures hours before Trump announced the ceasefire. At the same time, 6 nautical miles from Iran’s coastline, tankers were paying for passage through the Strait of Hormuz in cryptocurrency. The same week. The same asset class. The same non-dollar rails.”

… “Reuters confirmed that approximately 8,600 lots of Brent and WTI crude were sold at 19:45 GMT on April 7. Trump announced the ceasefire at 22:30 GMT. Oil fell 16%. Reuters noted that such deals are very rarely done in big lots after settlement. A nearly identical $500 million trade occurred on March 23, 15 minutes before a separate Trump announcement on Iran. The CFTC did not respond to Reuters or to congressional letters from Rep. Torres and Sen. Murphy.”

… Trump said he is preparing for his next war: “All US Ships, Aircraft, and Military Personnel, with additional Ammunition, Weaponry, and anything else that is appropriate and necessary for the lethal prosecution and destruction of an already substantially degraded Enemy, will remain in place in, and around, Iran, until such time as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with. If for any reason it is not, then the ‘Shootin’ Starts,’ bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before.”

… “It was agreed, a long time ago, and despite all of the fake rhetoric to the contrary - NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS and, the Strait of Hormuz WILL BE OPEN & SAFE. In the meantime our great Military is Loading Up and Resting, looking forward, actually, to its next Conquest. AMERICA IS BACK!”

… Sen. John Fetterman on Fox: “We are the force of good in the world and now, that’s where now we’re not 40 days into this. And now, I’m reading that they’re now have to force another War Powers vote and I will vote against that now.”

… Trump’s former NSA John Bolton: “I don’t know what Trump’s objective is other than this: he sees oil prices rising, stock markets falling, and worries about the political impact on himself. That is why Trump agreed to this ceasefire. That is what motivates him.”

This was a big one with news from all over the place, from the Iran War to Melania calling a surprise “press conference” on Epstein and lots of other stuff in between. I did my best to keep up with one eye on The Masters.

Tomorrow is my usual daily Bulletin as well as my Ask the Editor podcast where I answer 5 of your questions. If you have a question for the show, please post it in the comments below. If you missed my weekly podcast Uncovered yesterday, you can find it here.

… WH economic advisor Kevin Hassett on Fox: Q - “We know we just came off of the worst quarter for stocks in several years, we know oil prices have risen 50%. What’s your expectation for your impact on economic growth? Hassett: I think this is a temporary distraction that will very very quickly go away.”

… Hassett then said Trump has many business deals for Iran: “We’ve got so much on table that we’re willing to give to help the Iranian people if they just act normally, that