Trump is so desperate for the public’s approval that he sincerely believed that by going on television to make his claim for war 32 days too late, he would turn his plummeting poll ratings around.
By making his case for war, he would help people understand why he was right.
Instead, he revealed how wrong he was to put the United States into a war it couldn’t really win.
(March 3, 2026)
The exchange took place after Rubio made a jaw-dropping admission on Monday: the U.S. struck Iran because Israel was planning to strike first, and Washington feared Tehran would retaliate against American forces.
But asked on Tuesday if Israel forced his hand, Trump rejected this explanation outright, telling reporters in the Oval Office: “No. I might have forced their hand.”
Asked to explain this a few hours later, a defensive Rubio said: “I was asked a very specific question, so you guys can misrepresent it, but I was asked a very specific question yesterday.
“The bottom line is this: we, the president, determined we were not going to get hit first. It’s that simple, guys, we are not going to put American troops in harm’s way.”
The White House hyped the “Board of Peace” initiative, which nations can join for a $1 billion fee, as a coalition of nations that “promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.”
Though the White House expected representatives from 35 countries at the ceremony, fewer than 20 showed up. World leaders otherwise in attendance at Davos, such as French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, all ignored Trump’s endeavor.
Trump was left signing what critics called a MAGA-fied U.N. charter with the likes of Argentinian President Javier Milei and far-right Hungarian leader Viktor Orban.
Part 2 of a two-part series takes a deep dive into the history of the CIA’s central role in orchestrating news and editorial coverage in America’s most influential liberal national media outlets — and its continued hold today.
Part 1 of a two-part series takes a deep dive into the history of the CIA’s central role in orchestrating news and editorial coverage in America’s most influential liberal national media outlets — and its continued hold today.