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Smerconish: Where's the Evidence on Iran's Nuclear Weapons? - Smerconish on CNN - Podcast on CNN Audio

Smerconish: Where's the Evidence on Iran's Nuclear Weapons? - Smerconish on CNN - Podcast on CNN Audio

CNN4 hours ago

Smerconish: Where's the Evidence on Iran's Nuclear Weapons? Smerconish on CNN 45 mins
CNN Michael Smerconish dives into the conflicting messages from the Trump administration about Iran's nuclear weapon capabilities. Then, Retired Admiral James Stavridis and New York Times National Security Correspondent David Sanger join Smerconish to weigh on the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. After that, Retired Lt. General David Deptula discusses U.S. military capabilities in case tensions between Israel and Iran becomes a wider regional conflict. Finally, the L.A. Dodgers are taking a stand against the Trump administration's ICE raids. Los Angeles Times Writer Jack Harris sets the record straight about conflicting reports about a stand off between the L.A. Dodgers stadium and DHS officials.

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Trump's Public Rebuke of Tulsi Gabbard's Statement on Iran
Trump's Public Rebuke of Tulsi Gabbard's Statement on Iran

Time​ Magazine

time26 minutes ago

  • Time​ Magazine

Trump's Public Rebuke of Tulsi Gabbard's Statement on Iran

President Donald Trump has said that his Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was "wrong" to say that Iran is not currently building a nuclear weapon. When asked about the claims made by his intelligence community, specifically Gabbard, Trump was clear, telling reporters on Friday: 'She's wrong.' In March, Gabbard testified in front of Congress that the intelligence community [IC] 'continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon, and Supreme Leader [Ali] Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003. The IC continues to monitor, closely, if Tehran decides to reauthorize its nuclear weapons program." The testimony has resurfaced as Trump weighs his options regarding a potential U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict, as the Middle Eastern countries trade deadly missiles after Israel launched an operation against Iranian military targets and nuclear facilities on June 13. Read More: Iran Issues New Grave Warning, Says U.S. Involvement in Israel Conflict Would Be 'Very Dangerous for Everybody' Trump's latest comments echo those he made to reporters on Air Force One on June 17, when he said he did not 'care' about what Gabbard had testified earlier in the year. 'I don't care what she said, I think they were very close to having one,' Trump said of his belief that Iran was inching towards having a nuclear weapon. Central to Trump's stance regarding Israel's initial assault on Iran is his belief that Iran has been moving closer to nuclear capability. He has plainly said that 'Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.' Trump's stance, bolstered by a May 31 International Atomic Energy Agency report (that stated Iran had accumulated roughly 120 kg of uranium enriched to 60%, dangerously close to weapons-grade levels of 90%), undermines previous reports by U.S. intelligence, including that of Gabbard, a former Democrat. Read More: How Netanyahu Pushed Trump Toward War In response to Trump's new assertion that she was 'wrong' in her previous testimony, Gabbard took to social media on Friday, stating that her words had been taken out of context by "dishonest media." Gabbard maintains that she and Trump are on the same page. "The dishonest media is intentionally taking my testimony out of context and spreading fake news as a way to manufacture division," Gabbard said. "America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalize the assembly. President Trump has been clear that can't happen, and I agree." Attached to the post was a longer video of her testimony, which also included her claims that 'Iran's enriched uranium stockpile is at its highest levels and is unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons.' Read More: The 5 Groups Hoping to Sway Trump on Iran Trump reportedly still has 'full confidence' in his intelligence team, according to White House communications director Steven Cheung, but the open disagreements between Trump and members of his Administration signal splinters over the Israel-Iran conflict. The President is facing questions from both within and outside the Republican party, as he weighs up his options during a self-imposed two-week deadline about whether the U.S. will intervene, despite him campaigning on staying out of wars overseas. Republican lawmakers Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky have both openly disapproved of any potential U.S. military intervention. Read More: Breaking Down the Feud Between Trump and Tucker Carlson Amid Divide Over Israel-Iran Conflict Meanwhile, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson—a long-time ally of Trump, who even hit the campaign trail with him in 2024—has also spoken out against any U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict. Carlson's initial comments prompted a blistering response from Trump, and their disagreement soon took a personal turn as the feud escalated. While the situation appears to have since settled—Trump said Carlson called and apologized for his 'strong' words—it's clear that the subject of the Israel-Iran conflict and how the U.S. should move forward is proving to be a divisive one.

Trump's Admin Is Policing Foreign Students' Social Media for ‘Political Activism'
Trump's Admin Is Policing Foreign Students' Social Media for ‘Political Activism'

Yahoo

time27 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Trump's Admin Is Policing Foreign Students' Social Media for ‘Political Activism'

Donald Trump's State Department ended a three-week pause on student visa processing, but people applying for those visas now could be rejected if they do not make their social media profiles public. Immigration officials are vetting students for their political stances, particularly any pro-Palestine activism. 'A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right,' the State Department said in a statement on Saturday. The State Department said it is screening applicants for those who 'pose a threat to U.S. national security.' A cable was circulated about the news on Wednesday, the Free Press reported. 'Under new guidance, we will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J nonimmigrant classifications,' the State Department said in its Saturday statement. 'To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to 'public.'' All three visas are related to studying in the U.S. Wednesday's cable, sent by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, emphasized that the agency would be scanning for political activists. 'Applicants who demonstrate a history of political activism,' he wrote, 'especially when it is associated with violence… you must consider the likelihood they would continue such activity in the United States.' 'During an online presence search, you might discover on social media that an applicant endorsed Hamas or its activities,' Rubio wrote, which could be grounds for rejection. Rubio also said that private social media posts could be interpreted as an effort to 'hide certain activity.' In March, Rubio said that he had canceled more than 300 visas over pro-Palestine activism. Colleges and universities have been a point of focus for the Trump administration as it seeks to crack down on immigrants and protests. On Friday, Columbia University pro-Palestine student activist Mahmoud Khalil was released from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center after spending three months there, missing the birth of his child. To justify revoking Khalil's visa and seeking his deportation, Rubio declared that his continued presence in America 'would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.' Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk was detained by ICE for six weeks. She alleges that the detention was due to a pro-Palestine op-ed she wrote. Also on Friday, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from preventing Harvard from admitting international students. Universities have warned international students to avoid traveling abroad over the summer in case they have their visas revoked or are not allowed back into the U.S. for another reason. 'The enhanced social media vetting will ensure we are properly screening every single person attempting to visit our country,' a senior State Department official told The Wall Street Journal. 'Every visa adjudication is a national security decision,' the State Department said. 'The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission.' Yale's Office of International Students and Scholars instructed students to follow the guidance and assess their digital footprints and speak with an attorney if they have concerns. 'You should evaluate your risk regarding your social media presence and digital footprint to determine what, if any, action you should take before applying for a visa,' said Ozan Say, the office's director, The Yale Daily News reported. More from Rolling Stone Nuclear Fears Become a Call for Regime Change in Iran Judge Orders Trump to Release Mahmoud Khalil Treasured Public Lands on the Auction Block in Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence

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