White House report card: 40 times Trump has said Iran peace deal is close
Welcome to Friday's Washington Secrets, where we are gearing up for the United States Men's National Team (is that the worst nickname in soccer?) to take on Paraguay (La Albirroja or "The White and Red") at the World Cup tonight. As usual, we bring you our review of the president's week with our two political strategists.
TL;DR
- Donald Trump was booed at Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden.
- Iran launched strikes on Israel, prompting Trump to urge restraint, followed by threats of escalation and later claims of a deal being close.
- Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act expired as Congress left for a break, with disagreements over Trump's appointment of an acting Director of National Intelligence cited as a reason for the impasse.
- John Zogby graded Trump's week as 'F', citing job creation figures overshadowed by inflation concerns, mismanagement of the Iran situation, and a loss in a Los Angeles mayoral race for his endorsed candidate.
- Jed Babbin graded Trump's week as 'C-', criticizing the abandonment of FISA Section 702, the ongoing delays in a peace agreement with Iran, and the biting effects of inflation despite a seemingly roaring economy.
- JD Vance was noted as having a 'good week' for posting family photos, while House members were also seen as having a 'good week' for taking a break after eight days of session.
- FIFA chief Gianni Infantino and 'America's closest ally' (implicitly the UK) were identified as having a 'bad week'.
- Elbridge Colby urged the UK to boost defense spending.