US politics live: ‘Fallen out of favour': Trump rift deepens

Welcome to our coverage of US politics.
Rifts continue to emerge in Donald Trump's inner circle regarding the possibility of striking Iran.
The US President has already chided National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard who stated that Tehran wasn't actually that close to getting a nuclear bomb,
Now, despite her critical role, Ms Gabbard has reportedly 'fallen out of favour' with Mr Trump.
On Thursday, US time, Mr Trump took his intelligence briefing in the White House Situation Room. This is from where he has been co-ordinating the US' position on Iran.
A new poll has suggested that a majority of 'MAGA Republicans' would support a US strike on Tehran. That would fly in the face of other reporting which has suggested Trump followers are far more keen on his no new wars message.
Former US president Bill Clinton has made an intervention on Iran with a direct message to Mr Trump.
And Vice President JD Vance has been kicked off a competitor to Elon Musk's X just minutes after joining.

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The Age

42 minutes ago

• The Age

Few believe Iran has nuclear weapons. We can't afford to repeat the Iraq War lie

The Middle East is once again in danger of exploding, with massive global geopolitical and economic implications. The leader who bears most responsibility for this is undoubtedly Benjamin Netanyahu. For years, the Israeli prime minister has doggedly pursued the demise of the Iranian Islamic regime in line with his power interests and his vision of Israel's security requirements. His stated goal has long been to bring down the 'Islamic empire in Iran', 'expand the Abraham Accords with Arabs' and once and for all end the Palestinians' aspirations for an independent state. As part of this Middle East master plan, he has also zeroed in on Iran's nuclear program. But let's not forget: No concrete evidence exists that Iran has been manufacturing nuclear weapons. In a congressional hearing earlier this year, the United States' Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard confirmed this fact. And earlier this week, Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that 'on the basis of our evaluation, we came to the conclusion that we could not affirm that there is any systematic effort in Iran to manufacture a nuclear weapon'. Despite this, Netanyahu continues to insist that Iran is on course to produce nuclear weapons within weeks, and the US is teetering on entering the war in Israel's support. Meanwhile, he omits the fact that Israel itself has its own nuclear program. Though Israel has never formally confirmed or denied its nuclear arsenal, its national Atomic Energy Commission was established in 1952. By 1958, researchers believe the government had established a weapons development site in Dimona, and American intelligence from the 1960s stated that there was a reprocessing plant for plutonium production at the site. Loading As the Federation of American Scientists wrote in 2007, 'the existence of Israeli nuclear weapons is a 'public secret' by now due to the declassification of large numbers of formerly highly classified US government documents which show that the United States by 1975 was convinced that Israel had nuclear weapons'. According to the Centre for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, Israel today has at least 90 nuclear warheads and enough material to produce hundreds more. The United Nations' nuclear watchdog has also found that of the 30 countries capable of developing nuclear weapons, Israel is among nine that possess them (Russia, US, China, France, United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel and North Korea).

SBS Australia

an hour ago

• SBS Australia

'Unmitigated disaster': What Donald Trump could be weighing up on Iran

US President Donald Trump says he's considering whether or not to involve the US in the Israel-Iran conflict. Source: AAP, Press Association / Suzanne Plunkett As hostilities between Israel and Iran continue, United States President Donald Trump is keeping the world guessing as to what he might do next. Israel launched a sweeping aerial campaign against Iran a week ago, calling it a "pre-emptive" strike to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran has denied plans to develop such weapons and retaliated by launching counterstrikes on Israel. Trump has repeatedly criticised Iran, called for an "unconditional surrender", and floated the possibility of US action in Iran. On Thursday, Trump said he has yet to decide how the US would proceed, but will do so in the next two weeks. He has indicated there is still a chance of negotiating with Iran. "Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks," press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, quoting a message from Trump. Leavitt told a regular briefing at the White House that Trump was interested in pursuing a diplomatic solution with Iran, but his top priority was ensuring that Iran could not obtain a nuclear weapon. Professor Wesley Widmaier, from the Australian National University's Department of International Relations, said domestic policies could play a major role in Trump's decision. Widmaier said a portion of Trump's voter base may not support involvement in the conflict. "I think right now he is poised on the horns of a dilemma between the isolationist MAGA [Make America Great Again] coalition base and anti-Iran pro-Israel kind of foreign policy imperative," he said. "And politicians like to keep things ambiguous for as long as possible; it gives them maximum mobility." Widmaier said the two-week time frame will provide Trump with an extension to weigh up tensions in his supporter base, political strategy and pressure, and the US relationship with Israel. Michael Green, professor and CEO of the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, said Trump is likely deciding whether or not to use a 13,000kg Massive Ordnance Penetrator 'bunker buster' bomb on an Iranian underground nuclear facility. Only the US military has the bunker buster bomb. "I believe that the decision he has to make is whether or not the US drops that bunker-busting bomb on Fordo, the remaining intact part of Iran's nuclear weapons programs," he said. "The reason he might do it is because the Israelis believe that the Iranians are weeks away from creating nuclear weapons capability. The reason to not do it is because there's no guarantee of success." Trump has not outlined exactly what US involvement in Iran could look like, but he has floated several possible scenarios. Comments and social media posts about his plans have veered from proposing a swift diplomatic solution to suggesting the US might join the fighting on Israel's side. On Wednesday, he said nobody knew what he would do. A day earlier, he mused on social media about killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, then demanded Iran's unconditional surrender. Iran has warned of "all-out war" if the US joins the military action. Green said while the Iranian regime is vulnerable, it could still "lash out" and cause threats to US forces and allied interests. He said Trump may be hoping the threat of the bunker buster bomb could influence Iranians to agree to peacefully give up their nuclear capability. "I am sceptical that Iran will, even under this huge amount of pressure, give up their nuclear program, [but] they might agree to meet, they might agree to talk about it, to dissipate the pressure," he said. "The most likely scenario is they put something out there to save themselves and it will be debated whether it's enough, and Donald Trump may or may not take it." Widmaier said he believes the US bombing Iran would be a "disaster". "My sense is this would all be leading to a disaster. It would just be a disaster for the region, it would be a disaster for American foreign policy," he said. If the Trump administration decides to pursue US action in Iran, Widmaier said it would need to have clear aims and a clear exit strategy. He said the US government would also want to be sure of public support if it were to take action. "These are lessons of the Vietnam war, these are lessons of the Iraq war, and I see no sense that they really know what they want," Widmaier said. Wars are easy to start, but hard to end. Wesley Windmaier "I say with a high level of confidence that it would be an unmitigated disaster, and it's something absolutely to be avoided. "I don't think you need a PhD to see that, given the disastrous military interventions that are a history of US foreign policy." While Trump has publicly criticised Iran and sided with Israel, US action against Iran is not guaranteed. In the next two weeks, Trump will weigh up different factors and scenarios, including opposition from some of his Republican colleagues, some of whom have said the US should avoid war. Kentucky senator Rand Paul said he hoped Trump would not give in to pressure to get involved. "It's not the US' job to be involved in this war," Paul said on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday. Republican representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky said on X: "This is not our war. We should not engage our military here." Widmaier said it's possible the president could opt out of the US becoming directly involved in another Middle East conflict. He pointed out Trump does have a record of holding off in the context of Iran. "In his first term, he came right up to the brink of ordering some strikes against Iranian sites, and he backed off at the last possible minute," Widmaier said. "So he does seem to have some inhibitions against, it may be that at the last minute he pulls back ... he does have a pragmatic streak too." — Additional reporting by Reuters and the Australian Associated Press

Perth Now

2 hours ago

• Perth Now

Trump's granddaughter works drive-thru at donut shop

First there was Donald at McDonald's, and now his teenage granddaughter Kai Trump has tried her hand as an honorary fast food worker by manning the drive-thru at her local Dunkin' Donuts. The 18-year-old, whose cumulative social media following pushes six million, ventured to her local doughnut store to taste-test menu items, and take some orders. All in the name of content, of course. The approachable youngster shared a TikTok of herself learning to use the cash register and greeting customers. 'Hi, how are you? Just a medium iced coffee... perfect,' she says in the clip, greeting a customer at the drive-thru while dressed in a pink tank top and orange skirt to match the shop's branding. She was joined at the venue buy her younger brother Tristan, and best friend Emma. While some fans of the teen were supportive of her attempt to connect with the general population, others joked her financial safety net was far from relatable. 'Love Her!!! ♥️Future President,' one said. Another quipped, 'Kai works for $12 an hour while her bank account has 7 figures at least 😂😂😂'. The name Trump has long been associated with hotels and golf courses, but during the US president's race to return the Oval Office last year, he ventured into a Philadelphia McDonald's to trump his rival Kamala Harris who claimed to have once enjoyed employment at the global chain. 'I love McDonald's,' Trump said. 'I like to see good jobs, and I think it's inappropriate when somebody puts down all over the place that she worked at McDonald's.' President Donald Trump works behind the counter making french fries during a visit to McDonald's restaurant on October 20, 2024 in Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania. Credit: Pool / Getty Images Donning an apron, the presidential candidate greeted drive-thru customers and scooped fries — proudly exclaiming each product 'never touches the human hand'. According to Politico, Trump would wait in his limousine during his first presidential tenure while an aide would run into the fast food chain to collect Egg McMuffins in the morning, or two Quarter pounders and a large fries later in the day. His granddaughter regularly posts about her consumption adventures, although much of her content is centred on her burgeoning golf career. Kai is the daughter of Donald Trump jr and Vanessa Trump — who are no longer married — with her mother confirming earlier this year she had begun dating golf icon Tiger Woods.