Tag Archives: Chris Murphy

CNN: US did not use bunker-buster bombs on one of Iran’s nuclear sites, top general tells lawmakers, citing depth of the target

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The US military did not use bunker-buster bombs on one of Iran’s largest nuclear sites last weekend because the site is so deep that the bombs likely would not have been effective, the US’ top general told senators during a briefing on Thursday.

The comment by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, which was described by three people who heard his remarks and a fourth who was briefed on them, is the first known explanation given for why the US military did not use the Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb against the Isfahan site in central Iran. US officials believe Isfahan’s underground structures house nearly 60% of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, which Iran would need in order to ever produce a nuclear weapon.

US B2 bombers dropped over a dozen bunker-buster bombs on Iran’s Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites. But Isfahan was only struck by Tomahawk missiles launched from a US submarine.

So what we heard from King Donald was largely lies and hot air — par for the course.

US’ top general tells lawmakers | CNN Politics
The US military did not use bunker-buster bombs on one of Iran’s largest nuclear sites last weekend because the site is so deep that the bombs likely would not have been effective, the US’ top general told senators during a briefing on Thursday.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/27/politics/bunker-buster-bomb-isfahan-iran

Time: Trump Issues Blistering Response After Iran Threatens U.S.

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“Look, you’re a man of great faith. A man who’s highly respected in his country. You have to tell the truth. You got beat to hell,” Trump said as he addressed the Iranian Supreme Leader during a White House press conference on Friday. Trump issued an even stronger response on his social media platform, Truth Social, later in the day, and doubled down on his stance once more when he reposted his message early Saturday morning.

In the lengthy post, Trump accused Khamenei of publicly sharing a “lie” by claiming Iran achieved a victory over Israel. He reaffirmed his much debated viewpoint that the U.S. strikes “obliterated” the three key nuclear facilities it targeted on Saturday, June 21. Trump also seemingly made reference to previous reports that stated the White House turned down a plan by Israel to try and kill Khamenei.

“His country was decimated, his three evil nuclear sites were obliterated, and I knew exactly where he was sheltered, and would not let Israel, or the U.S. Armed Forces… terminate his life. I saved him from a very ugly and ignominious death,” Trump said, lamenting that Khamenei would not “thank” him for this. “During the last few days, I was working on the possible removal of sanctions, and other things, which would have given a much better chance to Iran at a full, fast, and complete recovery. The sanctions are biting! But no, instead I get hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief.”

Awwww … Poor Trumpsie got his feelings hurt?

Trump Issues Blistering Response After Iran Threatens U.S.
“A burned out, blown up country with no future, a decimated military, a horrible economy, and death all around them.”

https://time.com/7298477/trump-iran-threat-khamenei-nuclear-bombs-sanctions

Mediaite: Critics Ramp Up Scrutiny Of 22-Year-Old ‘Former Lawn Boy’ Trump Put in Charge of Terrorism Prevention Unit — Amid Iran Threats

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Amid the threats of retribution from Iran following the U.S. military strike on three Iranian nuclear sites, critics have ramped up their scrutiny of the 22-year-old who was assigned to a major terrorism-prevention post by President Donald Trump.

In a Sunday morning post to X, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) called out Trump for appointing 22-year-old Thomas Fugate to a role at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in which he oversees the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) — a division of the agency which is tasked with terrorism prevention.

“As our nation girds for possible Iranian terrorist attacks, this is the person Trump put in charge of terrorism prevention,” Murphy wrote — referring to Fugate. “22 years old. Recent work experience: landscaping/grocery clerk. Never worked a day in counter-terrorism. But he’s a BIG Trump fan. So he got the job.”

Who is Thomas Fugate? 22 Yr Old Picked By Trump for DHS Job
Amid threats of retribution from Iran, critics have ramped up scrutiny on the 22-year-old who was assigned to a major terrorism-prevention post by Trump.
Critics Ramp Up Scrutiny Of 22-Year-Old ‘Former Lawn Boy’ Trump Put in Charge of Terrorism Prevention Unit — Amid Iran Threats

Alternet: ‘Theft and destruction’: Trump’s escalating self-dealing exposed in new report

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The big lie:

During his 2016 campaign, Donald Trump insisted that if he defeated Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, he would maintain a strict separation between his business activities and the White House. And one of MAGA Republicans’ talking points is that Trump cares so deeply about the United States that he was willing to step away from his business, put his son Eric Trump in charge of the Trump Organization, and take a hit financially in order to be president and “make American great again.”

The reality:

But in fact, President Trump’s net worth has increased substantially since 2016 and continues to increase. Trump, according to his critics, is monetizing his presidency in a wide range of ways,

…

The Guardian reporter continues, “He incurred numerous accusations of first-term conflicts of interest, as foreign officials from 20 countries descended on his hotels, while Secret Service agents in Trump’s security detail were made to pay premium rates, pouring at least $10m into his bank account. Such unprecedented disregard for time-honored ethical boundaries was shocking at the time. Now, it looks merely quaint.”

During his second term, Pilkington notes, Trump has monetized his presidency with everything from promoting Tesla vehicles to receiving a jet as a gift from the Qatari government.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) told The Guardian that Trump is operating a “pay-for-play presidency.” And Kathleen Clark, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis, laments that Trump and his allies “have mastered the technique of flooding the zone” by “doing so much so fast that they are overwhelming the ability of ethics groups and institutions to respond.”

‘Theft and destruction’: Trump’s escalating self-dealing exposed in new report

https://www.alternet.org/trump-grifter-guardian

Independent: ICE could ‘run out of money next month’ and is already $1bn over budget to carry out Trump’s deportation plans

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The Department of Homeland Security has requested an extra $2 billion to meet its needs by the end of September

Immigration and Customs Enforcement could run out of money as soon as next month amid the Trump administration’s ramped-up efforts to deport unauthorized immigrants.

While there are more than three months left in the fiscal year, one estimate has found that the agency is already $1 billion over budget, according to Axios. Legislators in both parties have raised concerns about the speed at which the agency is spending its funds, which may prompt President Donald Trump to seek additional funds from other agencies to support his deportation efforts.

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The top Democrat on the DHS appropriations subcommittee, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, said, “Trump’s DHS is spending like drunken sailors.”

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Trump may declare a national emergency to send money to ICE from other parts of the government.

ICE could run out of money next month and is already $1bn over budget
The Department of Homeland Security has requested an extra $2 billion to meet its needs by the end of September

https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/ice-dhs-budget-deportations-trump-b2770916.html

Associated Press: Trump’s plan to accept free Air Force One replacement from Qatar raises ethical and security worries

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For President Donald Trump, accepting a free Air Force One replacement from Qatar is a no-brainer.

“I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer,” the Republican told reporters on Monday. “I could be a stupid person and say, ‘No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.’”

Critics of the plan worry that the move threatens to turn a global symbol of American power into an airborne collection of ethical, legal, security and counterintelligence concerns.

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But security is the primary concern when it comes to presidential travel. The current Air Force One planes were built from scratch near the end of the Cold War. They are hardened against the effects of a nuclear blast and include a range of security features, such as anti-missile countermeasures and an onboard operating room. They are also equipped with air-to-air refueling capabilities for contingencies, though it has never been utilized with a president on board.

A former U.S. official briefed on the Air Force One replacement project said that while it would be possible to add some features to the Qatari jet, there was no way to add the full suite of capabilities to the plane on a tight timetable.

Trump’s plan to accept free Air Force One replacement from Qatar raises ethical and security worries
For President Donald Trump, accepting a free Air Force One replacement from Qatar is a no-brainer. But Trump’s plan threatens to turn a global symbol of American power into an airborne collection of ethical, legal, security and counterintelligence concerns.

https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-qatar-air-force-one-2ef13d87b71185bde547abe6840b098c

Mediaite: Democratic Senator Warns Trump Putting Country Under ‘Quasi-Martial Law’ After ‘Chilling’ Cloak-And-Dagger Arrest

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The video is really chilling. And this should matter to every single American. Okay, first of all the president doesn’t need the Alien Enemies Act in order to remove from this country. People who pose a threat to the nation, people who have engaged in criminal behavior or who have coordinated with terrorist groups, he has that power under existing law to remove from the country non-citizens. So he doesn’t need this authority.

What he is trying to do is put America on a war footing. This is an act that has only been exercised three times in American history. During the war of 1812, during the First World War, and during the Second World War. It is a wartime authority, and what you really worry about is the president continuing to move forward in exercising wartime powers in order to suspend additional elements of the constitution.

He, of course, has shown affection for something called the Insurrection Act, which would put the military in charge of everyday law enforcement in this country.

You are watching along multiple channels this massive slide away from democracy and democratic norms. And so that video is chilling because a the president doesn’t need that act to be able to remove a threat, but it speaks to his willingness to try to put America in a kind of quasi-martial law that ultimately will come to be a threat, not just to green card holders, but to American citizens as well.

So it’s a really worrying time and everybody in America should care what’s happening.

Democratic Senator Warns Trump Putting Country Under ‘Quasi-Martial Law’ After ‘Chilling’ Cloak-And-Dagger Arrest
Murphy accused Trump of putting the country under a state of “quasi-martial law” after reviewing the “chilling” footage of a Tufts University student’s arrest.

Chris Murphy: Trump ‘Putting’ U.S. Under ‘Quasi-Martial Law’