Officials keep Donald Trump entertained by spoon-feeding him "war porn" that features "stuff blowing up," while president blames Pete Hegseth for Iran war

America's war-time "leadership," in the form of President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, is woefully unprepared for the conflict it started with Iran, according to a post at Facebook from longtime Alabama attorney and entrepreneur Donald V. Watkins. It is titled "Trump and Hegseth were unprepared for war." Trump is such a dazed warrior that he allows his staff to spoon-feed him daily videos of war highlights that apparently are designed to give our president the false impression that he is winning the war.

Watkins long has been known in legal circles as one of the nation's leading practitioners in a variety of areas, especially criminal defense and civil rights. He is retired from law and now lives in California, but he remains engaged with the public on a number of fronts. One is investigative journalism, where he has broken dozens of important stories on corruption in the American South, especially in regards to  Southern Company -- the second largest utility in the U.S., and its affiliates in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia.  

The public especially should be aware of Watkins' in-depth reporting on cost overruns and shoddy workmanship at Southern Company facilities in Georgia and Mississippi. Watkins describes the Vogtle Nuclear Power Plant in Waynesboro, GA, as a "nuclear radiation and contamination deathtrap." Construction of the Kemper coal gasification plant in Mississippi was so far over budget and behind schedule that Southern Company abandoned the project and demolished what had been built. 

Beyond journalism, Watkins remains active in business, especially in the energy sector, where he has far-flung interests in Africa, with experiences in the Middle East. Watkins cites these connections as the basis for his reporting on the U.S.-Israel joint attack on Iran, which includes multiple reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is dead, killed by an Iranian missile strike on his home early in the war. 

Watkins recently reported on his introduction to intelligence gathering in the Middle East, which has helped inform his journalism on Netanyahu's death and related stories. We will have more on these subjects in upcoming posts. 

For now, let's report on the pitiful state of America's haphazard war effort in Iran. Watkins writes:

The New York Times reports that many of the 13 military bases in the Middle East that were used by American troops are all but uninhabitable. The ones in Kuwait, which is next door to Iran, have suffered perhaps the most damage.

Iranian officials have even accused the U.S. military of using civilians as human shields by putting American troops in hotels.

President Donald Trump is not getting the full picture of how badly this war is going for him. Instead, Trump is getting a highlight reel of war porn, as he watches our tax dollars blow things up for two minutes every day.

After two decades of watching America uncontestedly bomb the poorest people in the world, Trump and Pete Hegseth couldn’t even conceive of an enemy with a sophisticated military and the ability to fight back, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

Trump and Hegseth took no preparations and expected no reprisals. They didn't evacuate anyone from the Middle East until AFTER the war had started. They didn't bother to prepare current U.S. officials, and a former official told the news outlet that the president is being fed a daily video mash-up summarizing the most successful strikes on Iranian targets over the previous 48 hours of the military operation in the Middle East, now in its fourth week. 

The footage depicts “stuff blowing up,” one official revealed, while others said Trump’s allies are concerned that the clips may not fully capture the overall situation on the ground.  

Trump and Hegseth attacked Iran because they are cowards and bullies. They thought that they could impose their will on Iran by simply killing one old man.

They were wrong, and now they’ve started a fire that they cannot put out with lies and bombs.

As for the war porn that apparently keeps Trump entertained and ill informed, The Daily Beast and Yahoo! News, in a jointly published report, provide more details under the headline "Childish Way Trump's Officials Brief Him on War is Leaked": 

Donald Trump’s top war goons are briefing the president with two-minute-long highlight reels showing front-line victories in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, U.S. officials told NBC News.

Three current U.S. officials and a former official told the news outlet that the president is being fed a daily video mash-up summarizing the most successful strikes on Iranian targets over the previous 48 hours of the military operation in the Middle East, now in its fourth week.

The footage depicts “stuff blowing up,” one official revealed, while others said Trump’s allies are concerned that the clips may not fully capture the overall situation on the ground.

A current official said Trump is shown a condensed video montage because “we can’t tell him every single thing that happens.” The official added that the videos tended to emphasize U.S. successes, as those segments typically received a better response from the president’s aides.

The revelation comes at a time when the Trump administration faces backlash for sharing bizarre video-game mashups of the Trump administration’s lethal strikes on Iran. Trump’s team has dished out countless clips that verge on the gamification of real-life combat since launching coordinated strikes with Israel on Iran on February 28. 

The use of edited combat footage reflects a broader trend in modern warfare, where curated clips of battlefield victories are used to shape public perception. In the Ukraine-Russia war, both sides have circulated visually compelling videos of strikes and front-line operations to showcase battlefield success, generate clicks and social media buzz, support recruitment efforts, and project strength to adversaries.

According to Politico, one senior official bragged that the Trump administration’s videos racked up more than 3 billion impressions within four days. 

The U.S. war effort sounds like a combination of "Gamer" and "Weekend at Bernie's." At first thought, that hardly is comforting. But upon further review, Americans might be better off with Trump kept in the dark. After all, when is the last time he showed he can run anything with some semblance of competence? I'm not sure that has ever happened.

(To be continued)

The curious timing of oil stock trades related to Trump announcement on the war in Iran could spark a White House scandal driven by "mind-blowing corruption"

(India Today)

A large oil stock trade that happened just before President Donald Trump announced a pause on energy-related strikes in Iran shows signs of being insider trading and "mind-blowing corruption," one U.S. senator says. 

The Hill reports on what could be a brewing White House scandal under the headline "Murphy on $1.5-billion stock trade before Trump Iran announcement: 'Mind blowing corruption.'" Ashleigh Fields writes:

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Monday drew attention to an unusually large oil stock trade that occurred moments before President Trump announced a five-day pause on previously threatened energy infrastructure strikes in Iran, indicating it appeared to be a case of insider trading.

In an X post highlighted by Murphy, a stock market watcher said, “In one move, $1.5 billion in S&P 500 (ES) futures was bought while $192 million in oil (CL) futures was sold.”

“$1.5 BILLION. Let me say it again – a $1.5 BILLION BET. Bigger than any futures purchases made at the time. 5 minutes before Trump’s post,” Murphy wrote in his own post. 

“Who was it? Trump? A family member? A White House staffer? This is corruption. Mind blowing corruption,” he added.

Much remains unknown about what transpired, but for now, the story revolves around numbers -- those in the stock market and those on the clock. Activity in a 16-minute window likely will become the focus of Senate investigators. What might Trump's own Department of Justice (DOJ) do about a trade emitting foul odors right under their noses. Attorney General Pam Bondi has shown she is more interested in breaking the law than enforcing the law -- so we don't look for federal "crime fighters" to do anything. Fields writes:

At least 6 million barrels of Brent and West Texas Intermediate were sold between 6:49 a.m. and 6:51 a.m. on Monday, according to Bloomberg. Trump’s post was made at 7:05 a.m. 

International markets including Germany’s DAX Index Futures and the Euro Stoxx 50 Index Futures also saw unusual spikes in trades, Bloomberg reported. 

Oil and gasoline prices had been rising globally since the U.S. and Israel began their strikes on Iran, but they dropped quickly in the wake of Trump’s Monday announcement.

Insider trading has drawn the bipartisan attention of Congress for several years. But proposed legislation largely has focused on members of Congress and their family members. Meanwhile, the best-known case of insider trading came in 2004 and involved famed "domestic diva" Martha Stewart, who was convicted on three charges related to insider training and served five months in federal prison. 

What will happen in the evolving Trump-related case? That is an unknown at the moment, but Sen. Murphy appears to be taking it seriously, and the thought of a presidential administration seeking to profit off its own war is, to use Murphy's term, "mind blowing." Could a president and/or his associates really be that reckless and greedy? From day one, especially in its second term, the Trump administration has been about breaking norms -- and usually getting away with it. Could somebody finally pay a price? We hope you will stay tuned. Let's close with final words from The Hill, and Ashleigh Fields writes:

Murphy’s post draws attention to a broader concern among lawmakers about politicians and their families using their access to make more informed trades.

Earlier this year, House Administration Committee Chair Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) introduced a bill seeking to ban members of Congress from buying new stock but allow them to keep what they already own.

It would also require lawmakers to file a public notice with the clerk of the House at least seven days before they choose to sell an existing stock. 

Last year, Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.) introduced a bill that would prohibit lawmakers, their spouses, dependent children and trustees from owning, buying or selling individual stocks.

Democrats have also pushed specifically for legislation that would prevent the president and vice president from insider trading. 

President Trump urged Congress to pass legislation on the matter during his State of the Union address.

On Monday, Kalshi and Polymarket said they will roll out new insider trading restrictions that preemptively “block politicians, athletes, and other relevant people from trading in certain politics and sports markets.”

Andy Borowitz is a funny guy -- especially when it comes to roasting Trump -- but his take on aviation safety shows there is risk to putting the GOP in charge

Andy Borowitz

Andy Borowitz's comedy credentials are lengthy and impressive. The Washington Post has called him "America's finest fake-news creator and one of its sharpest political satirists." I have the good fortune to count Borowitz among my Facebook friends, and I can confirm that The Post nailed it on both counts.

It turns out that Borowitz also has a keen eye for serious subjects, providing incisive analysis on current events, public affairs, and politics. In fact, his commentary this week on aviation safety is one of the smartest takes I've seen on Sunday's fatal runway crash at New York City's LaGuardia Airport.

We will have more on that in a moment, but let's take a closer look at Borowitz's flair for the comedic, which has fueled his rise in the literary firmament.

One of my favorite activities each day is to scroll through the news feed on my Facebook page in search of the latest from Borowitz. Invariably, I am rewarded with several LOL-inducing gut-busters. In an age when many of us are fighting off Trump-induced PTSD, Borowitz's contributions to mental health are deeply appreciated. Here are some of his classics:

* The Baby Jesus was the last homeless person Republicans liked.

* Maybe this is crazy, but I think the right to own a gun is trumped by the right not to be shot by one.

* Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day; give a man Twitter, and he will forget to eat and starve to death.

When it comes to skewering Donald Trump, nobody does it better than Borowitz. In fact, the only good thing about the Trump presidency is getting to revel in the almost-daily beatdown Borowitz administers to our "Putrid Pumpkin of a President." For example:

* The 30% who still approve of Trump are either in a coma or in his cabinet.

* Of all the heinous things Trump has done, I will never forgive him for making me side with Rupert Murdoch.

* So despite what Trump has been saying, Iran has not been talking to him about ending the war. You have to feel sorry for him. Usually when he wants to get out of a war he just visits a podiatrist

* Think about it . . . The Republicans have gone from Abraham Lincoln to Sarah Palin to Donald Trump. No wonder they don't believe in evolution.

Borowitz is a funny guy, but he has serious comedy cred. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and was president of Harvard Lampoon, the university's 150-year-old undergraduate humor magazine. Alumni of Harvard Lampoon founded National Lampoon, which spawned a series of classic comedy movies, including Animal House, Vacation, and Caddyshack.

He created the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which launched Will Smith's career, and wrote for The Facts of Life TV series. In 1998, Borowitz became a contributing writer for The New Yorker magazine, and his essay -- "Emily Dickinson, Jerk of Amherst" -- was selected as one of the funniest pieces in the magazine's history.

In 2011, Library of America chose Borowitz to edit a book of American humor, The 50 Funniest American Writers: An Anthology from Mark Twain to The Onion. It was a best seller on the date of publication and became the No. 1 humor book in the United States, reaching the best-seller lists at The New York Times and  The Wall Street Journal.

As for Borowitz's serious side, his Facebook post dated 3/23/26 reflects his ability to tackle a subject straight off the front pages. It is so good, in fact, that I'm going to run it in full, with no additives from me. It includes a tad of humor, mostly in the form of well-timed digs at Donald Trump. But this is a work that would fit on any newspaper op-ed page. I learned a lot from it, and I think you will come away with a deeper appreciation for events leading to a tragedy on a New York runway. The basic theme: There are life-and-death costs to putting Republicans in charge. Borowitz writes:

Since airline safety is on the minds of many Americans traveling right now, it’s worth examining Donald Trump’s actions regarding it.

On the second day of his second term, Donald Trump fired the entire membership of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee.

You might wonder why Trump thought eliminating people who keep the skies safe was a good idea.

To the extent that Donald Trump has thoughts, they’re not original. His anti-immigrant rhetoric, for example, owes a debt to a prominent German political leader of the 1930s and '40s. And his decision to axe air-safety advisors calls to mind the wrecking ball that Ronald Reagan wielded on August 5, 1981, when he fired 11,345 air traffic controllers in one fell swoop.

For decades, anti-union Republicans have hailed Reagan’s draconian response to the strike by members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) as the beginning of the end of the American labor movement. But it was also the beginning of a crisis in air safety.

Joseph A. McCartin, a Georgetown professor and author of Collision Course: Ronald Reagan, the Air Traffic Controllers, and the Strike That Changed America, writes, “Reagan’s decision to ban all strikers meant that it took years for the system to come back to its pre-strike staffing levels.” That system is still reeling.

According to a 2023 report, “Ensuring adequate staffing and training for air traffic controllers—an essential part of maintaining the safety and efficiency of the National Airspace System (NAS)—has been a challenge for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), especially at the Nation’s most critical facilities.”

Who issued this alarming report? The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General. Trump purged more than a dozen inspectors general early in his second term. Department of Transportation Inspector General Eric Soskin was among them.

There you go again.

Pilots had been raising concerns about unsafe conditions at LaGuardia for roughly two years before Sunday's fatal crash between a plane and fire truck

In the two years leading up to Sunday's fatal runway collision at New York's LaGuardia Airport, pilots raised concerns in at least a dozen reports about hazardous conditions at what long has been one of the nation's busiest airports, according to a report at CNN. Several reports involved apparent mistakes or miscommunications with air-traffic controllers who have been working in under-staffed conditions, especially in an era when the Trump administration has made it a priority to reduce head count in federal agencies. Under the headline "'Please do something': Concerns raised about LaGuardia safety before fatal runway collision,"Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken write:

Pilots have raised concerns about miscommunication, air traffic control missteps and other hazards at LaGuardia Airport, according to a CNN review of government records for the past two years.

“Please do something,” a pilot wrote last summer in one of at least a dozen reports about LaGuardia to NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System – citing a close call when air traffic controllers failed to provide appropriate guidance about multiple nearby aircraft.

“The pace of operations is building in LGA (LaGuardia). The controllers are pushing the line,” the pilot said. “On thunderstorm days, LGA is starting to feel like DCA did before the accident there,” referring to the January 2025 mid-air collision over the Potomac River in Washington, DC, that killed more than 60 people.

CNN's reporting indicates those on the front line at LaGuardia sensed that something like Sunday's collision was bound to happen:

On Sunday, two pilots were killed and dozens of passengers were injured at LaGuardia airport when an Air Canada plane collided with a fire truck in a high-speed runway collision. An air traffic controller had cleared the fire truck to cross the runway and frantically tried to stop it at the last minute, but it was too late. After the crash, he said on the ground radio frequency that he had been “dealing with an emergency earlier” and that he “messed up.”

Only a few months ago, in October, two Delta Airlines regional jets collided on a LaGuardia taxiway, which sent one person to the hospital. And in Newark just this week, a close call occurred when two aircraft were attempting to land on intersecting runways.

CNN journalists found that pilots have been begging for someone to "do something" about LaGuardia's overstressed system, but that was not enough to prevent Sunday's crash, an event that likely could have been much worse. Ellis and Hicken write:

In the two years leading up to Sunday’s fatal crash, multiple reports detailed situations where collisions at LaGuardia were narrowly avoided, according to CNN’s review of the voluntary reporting system, which allows employees in the aerospace industry to anonymously flag safety issues and can take several months to include the most recent reports. While the reports are reviewed by a team of safety analysts who are tasked with alerting the Federal Aviation Administration of any hazards, the individual details of each report have not necessarily been verified by government regulators.

In December 2024, for example, a report to the NASA database described how a plane came dangerously close to another aircraft on the ground because of inaccurate instructions from air traffic controllers. And months before that, in July, a copilot reported a similar near collision after controllers said the plane was cleared to cross the runway even though another aircraft was landing at the same time.

“Ground Control issued a stop command just in time,” the report said. 

'I'm glad he's dead': In a sickening display of depravity, narcissism, Trump shows he's unfit by trashing Robert Mueller -- a war hero and champion for the rule of law

Many Americans did not need further proof that Donald Trump is a detestable person, but Trump on Saturday provided some anyway by trashing the memory of the late Robert Mueller, who served his country as FBI director, special counsel for the Russia-election interference investigation, and a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War. When Trump said he was glad Mueller was dead, it showed that, just when you thought Trump could not get any worse, he proved that he could. 

Americans of all political stripes took notice, and one who spoke out the loudest was Adam Kinzinger, a former officer in the U.S. Air Force and a six-term congressman from Illinois. Under the headline "A President Who Cheers a Veteran's Death is Unfit for Office, and EVIL," Kinzinger writes at Substack:

Robert Mueller died Friday night. He was 81 years old. He was a Marine who volunteered for Vietnam, was wounded in combat, and was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor for pulling one of his injured soldiers to safety under enemy fire. He served his country as FBI Director for twelve years — appointed by a Republican, asked to stay by a Democrat — and never became a partisan figure. His entire career was defined by one thing: a belief that nobody, not even the most powerful person in the world, is above the law.

And the President of the United States responded to news of his death by posting, within minutes: “Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people.”

Let that sink in. The sitting president of the United States — cheering the death of an American veteran, a decorated public servant, a man who gave his life to this country in uniform and in the courtroom. Not a political opponent. Not a rival. A man who had Parkinson’s disease and died at 81, his family asking only that their privacy be respected.

This is where we are.

But even with a decade of seeing exactly who Donald Trump is, today stopped me cold.

Stephanie Remington is suspended as a pastor in the United Methodist Church, pending an investigation into her work for Jeffrey Epstein at his private island

Stephanie Remington (Premier Christian News)

Part One

A researcher and speaker -- addressing audiences with an interest in faith-based subjects -- was shocked to uncover information that led to the suspension of a Missouri pastor who worked for noted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein

That is from a report at fox4kc.com, a Fox News affiliate in Kansas City, MO. Under the headline "'I was stunned: Woman who discovered KC-area pastor's ties to Epstein speaks out," Delaney Eyerman and Lynde Langdon write:

A former North Kansas City and Lee’s Summit pastor was suspended last week after it was discovered she once worked for and managed the private island of late-sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

On Thursday, March 12, Rev. Stephanie L. Remington was placed on leave, pending a review by the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church.

FOX4 reached out to Elizabeth Glass Turner, the woman who discovered the pastor’s name in the Epstein files and alerted the church. Turner writes for Wesleyan Life, a print and digital publication that likely reaches a substantial portion of the church's estimated 140,000 members in North America.

Turner said she is a researcher, writer, and editor, with an audience that’s frequently faith-based or academic. She also has worked as a licensed local United Methodist pastor. Turner and her husband have three children and live in Ohio. 

When Turner checked the Epstein files at the U.S Department of Justice (DOJ) website, she did not think she would find much of interest to her readers. But it did not take long for her to get on a trail that led to some surprising places, Eyerman and Langdon write:

“I thought I’d just ‘check a few quick things’ when the Epstein library, containing part of the files, was released publicly,” Turner told FOX4. “I quickly realized just how broad the scope of material is.”

After searching various keywords for faith-related subjects, Turner said she was surprised to find Epstein and Steve Bannon had joked about women in the pulpit and women’s ordination.

“I wasn’t surprised by the misogyny, but I was caught off-guard by them referencing that specific topic,” she said. “I followed up and checked for more, though I didn’t expect to find much.

“I definitely wasn’t expecting to find material related to any specific woman pastor. I was stunned.”

Remington’s name appears in approximately 1,800 documents of the Epstein files on the U.S. Department of Justice website.

Turner said she did some fact-checking online to make sure she wasn’t mistaken – then she notified conference and denominational leaders.

Remington's official position within the Methodist Church is "ordained elder." Robert Farr, bishop of the Missouri Conference, suspended her from clergy duties while an investigation moves forward. The suspension is for 90 days, effective March 12.

The Kansas City Star reported the following statement from church leadership:

“In early review processes, Wesley Theological Seminary confirmed that the individual served as a part-time contractor in 2017 and 2018 and has not been employed by the seminary since that time,” the conference said. The article continues . . . 

In its statement, the conference said it had no prior knowledge of the pastor’s association with Epstein. Remington has not been accused of a crime or any wrongdoing.

“Clergy serving in extension ministry operate outside a local church appointment and report their ministry setting through annual paperwork submitted to the Conference,” the statement read. “No information indicating this association was disclosed in any of those reports. The Bishop or district superintendent were not contacted about the individual's interest in or acceptance of the Epstein-related position.

“The individual is aware of their suspension and has been provided with guidance on accessing counseling support should they wish to pursue it,” officials continued. 

People magazine provided a summary of Remington's work with Epstein:

Remington worked as Epstein’s administrative assistant between August and December 2018, and then later as a temporary property manager of the financier’s private island between January and May 2019. (In all, she worked with Epstein for less than one year.) 

In the Fox4 account, Elizabeth Glass Turner discusses her intent in notifying church officials about Remington's ties to Epstein. She also notes that the situation presents uncomfortable irony:

“I reported my finding as well as fact-checking material and requested they look into it with maximum promptness and transparency,” Turner told FOX4.

“To be clear, I didn’t report it assuming any criminal wrongdoing. My responsibility was to carry out basic ‘due diligence.'”

Turner highlighted the importance of people in positions of power being held accountable.

“The girls and young women whose evidence and sworn testimonies I’ve encountered in the files deserve maximum transparency, especially from faith leaders,” Turner said.

She made a point to address the lack of accountability for others named in the Epstein files:

“I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out one dynamic as strongly as possible: a suspended pastor who worked for Epstein for less than a year, during a time when Epstein knew he was under investigation and began remodeling projects, has now faced more basic “due diligence” accountability than multiple wealthy men in influential public roles of leadership and responsibility – like Steve Tisch, who remains chair of the board of the New York Giants, or those who did business with Epstein for years, like Ambassador Tom Barrack, who emailed Epstein about a young woman in the early 2010s and had lunch at Epstein’s New York residence in 2016; or others who continue to minimize their involvement with him, hoping the current news overwhelm will give them cover.

Glass did not mention this, but I will add the following: Donald Trump reportedly is mentioned more than 38,000 times in the Epstein files, and yet he remains president of the United States, joining Israel to launch an unauthorized attack on Iran and threatening to take over the sovereign nation of Cuba. According to news reports two days ago, the Trump DOJ is blocking a subpoena that seeks the release of financial records regarding the ties of Epstein and his associates to drug trafficking, money laundering and prostitution. On multiple occasions, Senate Republicans have blocked release of Epstein-related bank records.

Meanwhile, back in Kansas City, The Summit Church -- where Stephanie Remington once worked --  released the following statement:

Statement Concerning Recent News Reports

We, along with many of you, have recently learned of media reports regarding Stephanie Remington and her association with Jeffrey Epstein.

The information being reported relates to events and employment that occurred many years after her time at The Summit. Like many, we are learning these details through recent reporting. Additionally, The Summit Church is no longer affiliated with the United Methodist denomination.

Ms. Remington was appointed by the Bishop of the Missouri Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and served on staff at The Summit Church from July 2007 until December 2008. During her brief time on staff, there were no known concerns, complaints, allegations, or indications of misconduct or impropriety.

We are deeply grieved by the harm connected to Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes. Our hearts are with the victims and survivors who have endured unimaginable abuse. They deserve to be heard, supported, and cared for. We join others in praying for their healing and for justice.

Every pastor, staff member, and volunteer who interacts with children, teenagers, and vulnerable adults through the ministries of The Summit Church undergoes an extensive third-party background check and participates in rigorous training regarding appropriate interactions and recognizing the signs of abuse. We remain committed to integrity, transparency, and creating safe environments in every aspect of our ministry.

To be continued on Monday at Legal Schnauzer.