NewsNation Chief Washington Anchor and On Balance host Leland Vittert was a foreign correspondent for four years in Jerusalem. He gives you an early look at tonight’s 7 p.m. ET show. Subscribe to War Notes here.
Must watch: Last night’s lead segment on President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza did not disappoint – it’s based largely on yesterday’s “War Notes” (click here to read).
- Click here to watch Niall Stanage of The Hill and former State Department official Joel Rubin on why Trump is right to throw out the conventional wisdom of the Middle East.
- Say what: White House policy on Gaza appears to have changed yet again.
- Tuesday night: Trump said America would own Gaza and appeared to say the U.S. military would take it over.
- Thursday morning: Vague promises of rebuilding Gaza without using American tax dollars or U.S. troops.
- Watch tonight: Senator and Trump confidant Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma joins us to share exactly what Trump’s policy is.
Unelected Bureaucrats
Remember the quaint old days when Republicans railed against “unelected bureaucrats” usurping the will of the people and the power of Congress?
- For those of you who forget, here is a helpful clip from The Washington Post.
- But NOW: Elon Musk is a hero of the Trump Revolution.
- Republicans fall over themselves rushing to whatever microphone they can find to praise dearest Elon.
- Zoom out: This doesn’t make Musk wrong on a lot of issues.
- USAID is objectively out of control.
- And now Trump wants Musk to take over air traffic control.
- Reality check: I used to have a Tesla with “full self-driving” – or as Musk calls it, FSD.
- User experience: FSD and the FAA should NEVER, EVER meet.
- Reality check: I used to have a Tesla with “full self-driving” – or as Musk calls it, FSD.
- Watch tonight: House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., who appears to have zero interest in any oversight on the most powerful unelected bureaucrat in history.
- Fair point: Can you imagine Republicans’ reaction if a victorious Kamala Harris installed Alex Soros as the new equity czar?
Warnings: Our partners at The Hill headline, “GOP support for Musk influence with Trump falls dramatically: Poll.”
- Plus: Jonathan Martin is out with a must-read – truth be told, all of JMart’s columns are must-reads.
- AND: “Democrats focus on Elon Musk as they search for a message to fight Trump,” The Washington Post headlines.
- But “Memo to Elon: Know Your Boss” shows where the Musk-Trump relationship is headed.
History rhymes: Nobody who entered Trump World has left on good terms with Trump and with higher standing in the world – NOBODY!
Deafening Silence
- Pathetic: Twenty-four hours after Trump signed an executive order effectively banning boys in girls sports, we haven’t heard squat from Democrats – mind you, over the past 6 years, we were told transgender rights were the civil rights issue of our time.
- If you didn’t support biological men in women’s sports, you were a transphobic Nazi.
- In fact: Biden’s first-day executive orders protected transgender members of the military – now, Trump overruled it, and nobody cares, or more importantly, fights for the trans community.
- If you didn’t support biological men in women’s sports, you were a transphobic Nazi.
- Facts: Democrats realize that allowing boys to play in girls sports or having trans members of the military is crazier than Trump’s plan for Gaza.
- Remember when the University of Pennsylvania nominated Lia Thomas as their woman athlete of the year?
- Then came the fawning headlines:
- “Trans swimmer Lia Thomas nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year award,” NBC wrote.
- Now: The NCAA thanked President Trump for providing a clear framework and promised to work within it.
- Remember, the NCAA is the same organization that allied with Lia Thomas to beat out biological women for important titles.
- Then came the fawning headlines:
- Remember when the University of Pennsylvania nominated Lia Thomas as their woman athlete of the year?
- Exposed: What a bunch of cowards.
- Much like how the NFL has now painted over “End Racism” in the end zones of this week’s Super Bowl.
- Much like former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, who removed the pronouns out of his profile on X.
- Much like Google and dozens of other companies that have announced the end of their DEI programs.
- Either stand for something or don’t, but canceling people as bigots for protecting their daughters and now remaining silent further lays bare the fraud of performative wokeness.
Tune into “On Balance with Leland Vittert” weeknights at 7/6C on NewsNation. Find your channel here.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of NewsNation.