Trump tears peace hopes into pieces.

The Governor will appoint Graham's replacement, who will serve out his term until Jan 2027. This seat was heading to election in November.

For a brief moment, the GOPs hold in the Senate is tenuous. They can only have 2 GOP Senators vote with the Dems to tank a Trump agenda.

Trump really isn't fit, physically, mentally or morally, to run a powerful country like the USA.

He is now down 2 GOP Senators. McConnell is still missing. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Unfortunately, this is expected when one runs for election in one's 80s.

www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/sen-lindsey-graham-dies-71-brief-sudden-illness-rcna552722

There is video footage of Trump at the NATO summit, and you may watch it as he says the Islamic Republic of Japan, and also the mix up with Putin/Zelenski.📹

Someone asked upthread, about what Israel was saying.
Allegedly, Israeli intelligence has uncovered a plot to k... Trump. That's why he had to leave his new golden plane behind and travel home in the older secure one.

What Chocolatelovingran said,
there appears to be a correlation between a spurt of progress on releasing the Epstein Files, and a sudden decision to bomb Iran again.

Being vilified on Gransnet is worth giving your own opinions on any matter at all.😄

Spot on.

I totally agree but we will get vilified for it.

Oreo

Iran are unbelievably murderous to their own people, beatings and summary executions daily.On top of that, bank rolling the many murderous terrorist groups such as hezbollah and hamas which carry out atrocities all over the world as well as the Middle East.The leaders call themselves religious, what a terrible joke that is, so yes they certainly are scum.

Thank You Oreo for listing
all these things about Iran.

Similar and much worse things also apply to several other countries in the Gulf and surrounding areas.

Especially the way they still treat their Women.

If they didn't have oil where would they be?

I think Tump is the gross personification of US entitlement and corruption.

In that they can rule the World and have whatever they want on their
terms.

imaround

I fully believe he does understand the negatives, when he knows about them. He still doesn't care. I do not believe for one minute that they tell him much though.

The GOP (and Dems too!) have spiralled into its own "let them eat cake" moment, which is why the Democratic Socialists are winning Primaries. All of a sudden more people are realizing that the US can afford to cover healthcare for everyone and that insurance companies making billions on profits from people dying isn't a good thing.

I said before, this is our opportunity for massive change. I hope we don't mess it up again.

Mamdani is VERY popular right now. He just sent $750k to open a pet food shelter for Manhattan so that people hard on their luck don't have to give up a beloved pet.

He also texted the wealthy by setting a tax on second+ homes worth over $5 million that sit empty.

www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/04/mayor-mamdani--governor-hochul-announce-state-s-first-pied-a-ter

Guess who owns a lot of empty real estate in New York? He also just lost 3 times in a matter of days and now must pay out the $5m judgement to E Jean Carrol. The SC denied him twice this week.

Black Rock, the private equity company who buys up all the single family homes and drives market prices to unaffordable levels, has said they may disinvest from NYC because of it. I think that is the point. People are homeless and you are sitting on empty real estate worth millions you a-holes.

If it shows to be an effective strategy, cities all over the US will do it as well on much cheaper levels. At some point, everyone needs to pay their fair share one way or another.

I haven't been posting much because I am just sitting back watching it all happen. It gets more ridiculous by the day. Sending out "poll watchers" to Dem cities and states to intimidate people. The USPS refusing to deliver ballots for vote by mail. They are desperate because they know they are in trouble.

ICE is still killing people. A man was killed in Houston yesterday. We just no longer hear about it because the media has all been purchased by right wing billionaires and the feds are no longer publishing the stats.

You are so right Imaround.

With vultures (sorry to malign those birds) like BlackRock sitting around picking up the spoils of his destruction - and they are hugely in the UK and the EU too.
Their pernicious fingers are somewhere in ALL public companies in the UK and they lobby the UK government to make sure policies are passed that set the ground for even more profits for BlackRock and not for the voters or people.
EG they own or have hugely invested in most of the heat pump manufacturers and are driving the policy to make them almost compulsory. Cq, holiday companies, housing companies, undertakers, vets, police service providers, jails, ...

As for Trump well, I cannot share my thoughts.

He does not know how to end a war he started! Egotistical narcissist

Thanks for keeping us updated on things state side as you do- much appreciated 👏

Magenta8

What I can't understand is the logic behind Trump wanting to expand the number of US bases in Europe but also wanting to withdraw support for NATO. Am I being stupid?
Article 5 has only been invoked once, in 2001, following the 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers in the USA. There's gratitude for you.

I expect Trump is still feeling sore about Belgium beating the US four goals to one, despite his intervention over the red card.

The great orange one is still making noises about invading Greenland.

Will no-one rid us of this turbulent/troublesome POTUS?

No, Magenta, you are not stupid, no-one with the faintest grounding in logic would at one and the same time want to disrupt or do away with NATO and have more military bases in Europe.

Unfortunately, Donald Trump does not think logically.

I have serious doubts as to whether he actually can think at all, but that is probably due my having two university degrees to my name and having been taught from an early age to use my brain and to realise that actions have consequences.

Unfortunately, inciting people to commit criminal offences is in itself illegal, so I shall not do so, just remind anyone who is listening that Henry II of England is said to have remarked at dinner one day, "Who will rid me of this trubulent priest?" and the consequence of that remark.

Here’s another example of Trump removing the institutions that act as a restraint on his power. He fears he can only win the mid terms by cheating.

Sadgrandma

Israel seems to be keeping quiet in all this. I wonder why?

I thought that! It’s worrying what Netanyahu might have up his sleeve now.

Very sadly I cannot believe any of those poor Israeli hostages are still alive and whilst I do understand the Israeli citizens hatred and anger towards Hamas, this continued war will simply damage, kill, displace more Palestinians as well as risk Israeli’s lives.

David49

What Burnham says or does in relation to Gaza, Iran or Ukraine are just words it's going to have very little effect on the main protagonists. Im expecting his focus to be on the economy, he's playing his cards close to his chest, there will be a few surprises.

It's hard to predict Trumps next move, with Iran insisting that they control Hormuz Im expecting him to blockade Iran for as long as he can. The US is quite capable of doing that long term at very little risk, Iran will hit back but will suffer a lot more damage.

What happens at the mid term elections?, the Democrats loathe Trump and Im expecting them to win, but what is their policy on Iran?, are they going to allow Iran to control the gulf region. I don't think we can assume a change in US policy a lot of Democrats support Israel so this conflict could go on for a long time.

I’m really hoping AB does concentrate on the economy and hopefully can come up with a few quick wins. I don’t want to see our economy de-stabilised again nor this continuing division in both the LP and the country.

So if AB could look at these issues first? ….

What Burnham says or does in relation to Gaza, Iran or Ukraine are just words it's going to have very little effect on the main protagonists. Im expecting his focus to be on the economy, he's playing his cards close to his chest, there will be a few surprises.

It's hard to predict Trumps next move, with Iran insisting that they control Hormuz Im expecting him to blockade Iran for as long as he can. The US is quite capable of doing that long term at very little risk, Iran will hit back but will suffer a lot more damage.

What happens at the mid term elections?, the Democrats loathe Trump and Im expecting them to win, but what is their policy on Iran?, are they going to allow Iran to control the gulf region. I don't think we can assume a change in US policy a lot of Democrats support Israel so this conflict could go on for a long time.

imaround

I fully believe he does understand the negatives, when he knows about them. He still doesn't care. I do not believe for one minute that they tell him much though.

The GOP (and Dems too!) have spiralled into its own "let them eat cake" moment, which is why the Democratic Socialists are winning Primaries. All of a sudden more people are realizing that the US can afford to cover healthcare for everyone and that insurance companies making billions on profits from people dying isn't a good thing.

I said before, this is our opportunity for massive change. I hope we don't mess it up again.

Mamdani is VERY popular right now. He just sent $750k to open a pet food shelter for Manhattan so that people hard on their luck don't have to give up a beloved pet.

He also texted the wealthy by setting a tax on second+ homes worth over $5 million that sit empty.

www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/04/mayor-mamdani--governor-hochul-announce-state-s-first-pied-a-ter

Guess who owns a lot of empty real estate in New York? He also just lost 3 times in a matter of days and now must pay out the $5m judgement to E Jean Carrol. The SC denied him twice this week.

Black Rock, the private equity company who buys up all the single family homes and drives market prices to unaffordable levels, has said they may disinvest from NYC because of it. I think that is the point. People are homeless and you are sitting on empty real estate worth millions you a-holes.

If it shows to be an effective strategy, cities all over the US will do it as well on much cheaper levels. At some point, everyone needs to pay their fair share one way or another.

I haven't been posting much because I am just sitting back watching it all happen. It gets more ridiculous by the day. Sending out "poll watchers" to Dem cities and states to intimidate people. The USPS refusing to deliver ballots for vote by mail. They are desperate because they know they are in trouble.

ICE is still killing people. A man was killed in Houston yesterday. We just no longer hear about it because the media has all been purchased by right wing billionaires and the feds are no longer publishing the stats.

That post with all the information about New York and other matters was just brilliant, imaround. I don't think we are getting the information actually as the press concentrate in the international front and I really like to know especially the growth of oppositional groups with a fresh slant on the old Biden days.

Whats happening in NYC 👏

Our new PM in waiting, has said that Labour was incorrect in its original statements concerning Israel and Gaza.

This will definitely appeal to the progressive vote in the U.K.

Israel seems to be keeping quiet in all this. I wonder why?

And there were those before the election who imagined Project 2025 was all theory.

share any bits that occur, imaround. It's often the small stories that are the most telling, but internationally the war is keeping attention well away for domestic matters in the USA. Yes we have out own pre-occupations but in a way we need arming with real consequences in the struggles with the far right here.

Yes I remember that and something rather unpleasant involving s…t, still being used to Trump’s advantage.

I wish I could be telling you all about the amazing things about the US. That day will come.

I am definitely dazed as well. It just keeps happening every day and it hits from all sides. It is on purpose, the tactic is called flood the zone. Steve Bannon, IIRC, brought this gem to the Trump team back in 2015.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flood_the_zone

iamaround I think we are hearing about all the stuff (some say McConnel is being kept alive on a machine) - and we know about all the other stuff you have posted, but it is as if we are all punch drunk. There is so much horror and corruption being perpetrated and I feel dazed by it all. We have our own political horror show going on in the U.K. it is all so difficult to keep commentating.