The American Conservative Morning Briefing

The American Conservative
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Daily News
  • Updated Daily

A short morning synopsis of TAC's coverage

  1. 23h ago

    June 12, 2026

    Good morning! Today is Friday, June 12th 2026, and this is The American Conservative's Morning Brief. As the Iran war grinds into its 104th day with overnight U.S. strikes, retaliatory Iranian attacks on Gulf bases, and a whiplash announcement of a phantom peace framework, Josh Paul argues Trump holds a far stronger hand against Netanyahu than Washington seems to realize. Wholesale prices posted their largest annual jump since 2022, driven by a war-fueled surge in gasoline, as the European Central Bank hikes rates and the Federal Reserve faces a painful choice next week. In London, the resignations of Defense Secretary John Healey and his deputy over a gutted defense plan have detonated inside Keir Starmer's cabinet, inviting comparisons to the collapse of Boris Johnson's government. and now for the details. We begin with the Iran war, now in its one hundred and fourth day. Overnight, the United States bombed Iran for the second consecutive evening, with Central Command saying the strikes targeted Iranian military surveillance, communications, and air defense sites. Iran retaliated with two waves of attacks on U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. Tehran also reported that earlier U.S. strikes destroyed two reservoirs in Hormozgan province, leaving twenty thousand residents without drinking water in extreme heat. India's foreign ministry says a third Indian-crewed oil tanker was struck by the U.S. Navy this week, with three Indian sailors reported killed. As Harrison Berger reports, President Trump declared on Truth Social that the United States will, quote, "be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points," and assume total control of Iran's oil and gas markets, comparing the plan to Venezuela. He also vowed to bomb Iran, quote, "very hard tonight." Then, in a sudden reversal Thursday afternoon, Trump announced he had cancelled those planned strikes, claiming a framework to end the war had been approved at the highest level of Iranian leadership, and naming Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, and others as parties. Both Iran and Israel denied any such agreement exists. Brent crude rose to ninety-three dollars and fifty cents a barrel, and AAA pegged the national average price of regular gasoline at four dollars and thirteen cents. Against that backdrop, Josh Paul argues in The American Conservative that despite the conventional wisdom, it is President Trump, not Prime Minister Netanyahu, who holds the stronger hand. Paul notes that American support for Israel is cratering in public opinion, even as Congress is fast-tracking legislation that would give Israel enduring access to America's most sensitive technologies and intelligence, in exchange, he writes, for little more than a thank-you note. Netanyahu, Paul contends, is actually in a weak position. He faces elections this fall, he needs a visible win in Iran that looks increasingly out of reach, and he needs to lock in the U.S. legislative framework before a new Congress is seated in January. Paul urges the administration to link the three tracks of the relationship together: the Iran war, Palestinian self-determination, and the future of U.S.-Israel security cooperation. He recommends that Trump work with Republican leadership to slow-roll the pending legislation, so Netanyahu cannot present it as a sure thing before Israeli voters go to the polls. In Paul's reading, Netanyahu needs Trump far more than Trump needs Netanyahu, and there is no reason to give away the game just as the cards have been dealt. The war's economic costs are landing on American families. Joseph Addington reports that the Producer Price Index for final demand rose one-point-one percent in May, pushing the annual increase to six-and-a-half percent, the largest twelve-month jump since November 2022. The figure significantly topped economists' expectations. Addington writes that the surge was driven by energy costs tied to the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. More than half of May's advance came from a twenty-three-point-four percent increase in the gasoline index, with knock-on effects in plastics, industrial chemicals, fertilizer, diesel, and jet fuel. The continued climb in wholesale prices suggests headline inflation will remain elevated, complicating the Federal Reserve's decision next week on interest rates. President Trump has called for rate cuts, but, as Addington notes, that is a difficult move for the central bank in an inflationary environment. Across the Atlantic, David Brady reports that the European Central Bank has already moved, raising rates Thursday from two to two-and-a-quarter percent, the first major central bank to hike amidst the war-driven price surge. Economists expect the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England to follow before year's end. Those are today's highlights. For the full stories and more, visit theamericanconservative.com. Thank you for starting your morning with us.

    5 min

  2. 1d ago

    June 11, 2026

    Good morning! Today is Thursday, June 11th 2026, and this is The American Conservative's Morning Brief. A provision buried in the House defense authorization bill would deeply integrate American and Israeli weapons production, placing foreign-built parts inside U.S. systems while exempting Israel from the supply-chain safeguards applied to other foreign sources, Harrison Berger reports. The Iran War entered its 103rd day with a second night of U.S. strikes on Iranian territory, Iranian retaliation against the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and American airbases in Jordan, and President Trump weighing wider attacks on Iranian civilian infrastructure. Consumer price inflation climbed to 4.2 percent in May, the highest reading in over three years, with energy shocks from the Iran War driving sixty percent of the increase and markets now expecting a Federal Reserve rate hike by year's end. and now for the details. The Iran War entered its 103rd day on Wednesday, with U.S. Central Command announcing a second consecutive evening of strikes on Iranian territory. The Tuesday strikes, which CENTCOM described as self-defense actions following the downing of an Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, hit Qeshm Island and southern mainland targets. Iran's Tasnim news agency reported that the attacks damaged telecommunications and destroyed two water reservoirs in a district already suffering from severe water shortages. Tehran responded with a drone attack on the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and missile strikes on American airbases in Jordan. As Harrison Berger reports, President Trump told Fox News he is considering wider attacks on Iranian civilian infrastructure, including power plants and bridges, accusing Tehran of stringing the United States along on a negotiated settlement. On Truth Social, Trump wrote that "The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD." Tensions are widening beyond Iran. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told lawmakers in Ankara that Israeli operations in Lebanon and Syria now threaten Turkey itself, prompting Prime Minister Netanyahu to call him an "antisemitic dictator." Lebanon's Health Ministry reports that Israeli attacks have killed at least 3,696 people since early March. Brent Crude sat at $93 a barrel Wednesday morning, with the national average price of regular gas at $4.15. The economic costs of the Iran War are landing squarely on American households. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday that consumer price inflation rose to 4.2 percent year-over-year in May, the highest reading since April of 2023. As David Brady reports, energy shocks from the Iran War accounted for sixty percent of the price increases, with energy prices rising 3.9 percent in May, following a 3.8 percent jump in April and a 10.9 percent surge in March. Even setting aside volatile food and energy, core inflation came in at 2.9 percent, still well above the Federal Reserve's two percent target. This is the third consecutive monthly increase in consumer prices, which had stabilized before hostilities with Iran began. The Federal Reserve's monetary policy committee meets June 16th and 17th, and financial markets now expect the central bank will have to raise interest rates by the end of the year. A provision buried in the annual defense authorization bill now before the House would order the Pentagon to deeply integrate American and Israeli defense technology. Section 224, first reported by the Quincy Institute, would replace the expiring ten-year, $3.8-billion-a-year aid package to Israel with permanent military-industrial cooperation embedded inside the Pentagon's procurement system. The Quincy Institute's Ben Freeman writes that the section lays the groundwork for bilateral research, co-production of weapons, joint ventures, and licensing agreements spanning artificial intelligence, quantum technology, autonomous systems, directed energy, cyber, and biotech. In Freeman's words, "the U.S. military's data could soon be the Israeli military's data." On Thursday, the House Armed Services Committee voted down by voice vote an amendment from Representative Ro Khanna to strip the provision. Chairman Mike Rogers and ranking Democrat Adam Smith both maintained the section merely codifies existing programs. As Harrison Berger reports, that characterization understates how far Section 224 goes. The text directs the Pentagon to identify Israeli-origin technologies for integration into American systems of record and to build U.S.-based co-production with Israeli industry, placing foreign-built parts inside American weapons. Berger notes that elsewhere the same bill includes elaborate supply-chain safeguards against "sources of concern" tied to foreign adversaries, but those protections do not apply to Israel, even as the Pentagon has reportedly raised its counterintelligence threat assessment of Israeli spying against Americans to the highest level, "critical." Berger argues lawmakers should distinguish Am

    6 min

  3. 2d ago

    June 10, 2026

    Good morning! Today is Wednesday, June 10th 2026, and this is The American Conservative's Morning Brief. Phillip Linderman argues the Manuel Rocha espionage case is the worst diplomatic betrayal since Alger Hiss, and urges Trump to require any U.S. official holding a security clearance to renounce dual citizenship. Day 102 of the Iran war finds President Trump openly feuding with Prime Minister Netanyahu, telling the Financial Times "I call the shots" as Israel pounds southern Lebanon and the Lebanese death toll since March climbs to 3,666. U.S. Central Command has launched strikes on Iranian air defenses in what Trump called a "very strong" response to the downing of an Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz. and now for the details. The Department of Justice has filed suit to revoke the naturalized citizenship of Manuel Rocha, the former senior American diplomat exposed in 2023 as a long-running spy for Communist Cuba. Rocha, Colombian-born, was recruited by Cuban intelligence before his naturalization and steered into a career in the U.S. Foreign Service. Writing for The American Conservative, Phillip Linderman argues that the Rocha case is the most serious diplomatic betrayal since Alger Hiss, but that the deeper issue it raises is the question of divided loyalty in an age of mass immigration and dual citizenship. Linderman notes that roughly 25 million Americans today are naturalized citizens, and that between 200,000 and 300,000 holders of U.S. security clearances are believed to carry a second citizenship — though no one knows the exact number because records aren't kept. He traces how, in the early Republic and as late as the 1930s, the Bancroft treaties and the plain text of the naturalization oath required immigrants to renounce all prior allegiances. That standard, he writes, was gutted by the Warren Court in the 1960s, opening the door to permanent dual loyalty. Linderman credits the Trump administration for moving against birth tourism and birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants, and he urges the president to open a second front: requiring any U.S. official seeking or holding a security clearance to renounce any second citizenship. The Rocha case, he concludes, shows that espionage will always be a threat, but Washington should not compound it by encouraging confused allegiances inside its own national security bureaucracy. The war with Iran has now entered its 102nd day, with Israel continuing its military campaign in Lebanon — a key sticking point in stalled ceasefire negotiations. The Financial Times and other outlets report growing friction between President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with Trump telling FT, quote, "I call the shots. I call all the shots. Netanyahu doesn't call the shots," and predicting the Israeli leader, quote, "won't have a choice" but to accept a deal with Iran. As Harrison Berger reports for The American Conservative, Israeli outlets describe the U.S. and Israel as fully coordinated on recent strikes in Beirut and on retaliatory exchanges with Iran, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio said to have played a significant role in convincing Trump to back Israeli retaliation. Independent journalist Ken Klippenstein has reported that the Pentagon quietly deployed elements of an 82nd Airborne battalion to Israel in April, tied to joint contingency plans for seizing Iran's Kharg Island. On Monday, a U.S. Army Apache helicopter went down in the Strait of Hormuz; Trump said both pilots were unhurt. The Israeli military issued fresh displacement orders for villages around the ancient southern Lebanese city of Tyre before bombing it, killing at least eight. Lebanon's Health Ministry now puts the toll from Israeli strikes since March at 3,666 dead. Brent crude traded above $91 a barrel, with the national average price of regular gasoline at $4.16. In a developing story, U.S. Central Command announced Tuesday evening that American forces had launched strikes against Iran in response to the downing of that Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM called the mission, quote, "a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression." President Trump told ABC News the response, quote, "should be very strong, very powerful, and that's what this one is." As Andrew Day reports for The American Conservative, initial accounts suggested an Iranian drone had struck the helicopter, though it was not clear whether the impact was intentional. Trump, however, wrote on Truth Social that Iran had shot the aircraft down and that the United States, quote, "must, of necessity, respond." Open-source intelligence reported strikes in southern Iran beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern Time, with U.S. officials telling Fox News that targets included Iranian air defenses. Those are today's highlights. For the full stories and more, visit theamericanconservative.com. Thank you for starting your morning with us.

    5 min

  4. 3d ago

    June 09, 2026

    Good morning! Today is Tuesday, June 9th 2026, and this is The American Conservative's Morning Brief. On day 101 of the Iran War, the ceasefire has collapsed into a fresh exchange of missiles and airstrikes, with a draft agreement reportedly sitting on President Trump's desk for nearly twenty days as oil spikes and gas climbs to $4.16 a gallon. Inside the Gulf Cooperation Council, the United Arab Emirates has emerged as the most hawkish voice on Iran, and Giorgio Cafiero reports its softer recent rhetoric is managed ambiguity rather than any real change in policy. Spencer Neale argues that Hunter Biden's unfiltered arrival on X has made him an unlikely "MAGA whisperer," exposing how authenticity has become the only currency left in American politics as Trump struggles to out-spectacle the spectacle he created. and now for the details. We begin with the Middle East, where the Iran War has entered its 101st day, and the fragile ceasefire that had been holding now appears to have collapsed. In retaliation for Israel's bombing of Beirut and its continued occupation of southern Lebanon, Iran launched a wave of ballistic missiles at Israel Sunday night. Israel responded with airstrikes on Iranian targets. The Yemeni Houthis followed up with the announcement of a complete ban on Israeli maritime navigation. Axios reported, citing an Israeli source and a U.S. official, that President Trump had told Prime Minister Netanyahu not to retaliate against the Iranian missile attack. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman dismissed that account, saying no one in the region believes Israel acts without prior coordination with Washington. On Truth Social, the president wrote that both sides are looking to do an immediate ceasefire and that the U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz will remain in place until a final deal is reached. As Harrison Berger reports for The American Conservative, Drop Site News, citing a senior Iranian official, says two issues are blocking any wider agreement: Israel's bombing of Lebanon and expanded occupation in the south, and Trump's refusal to unfreeze Iranian funds. According to that official, a draft agreement has been sitting on the president's desk for nearly twenty days. Brent crude briefly spiked to $98 a barrel before easing back, and AAA puts the national average price of regular gasoline at $4.16 a gallon. Staying in the Gulf, the war has scrambled the diplomatic map among the six Gulf Cooperation Council states. While Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have committed to engagement with Tehran and the pursuit of a non-aggression arrangement, the United Arab Emirates has emerged as the most hawkish member of the bloc. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the UAE conducted dozens of airstrikes on Iranian targets between the start of the war and the Pakistani-mediated ceasefire in April, coordinating with Washington and Tel Aviv to hit islands in the Strait of Hormuz, energy facilities, and petrochemical infrastructure. In recent weeks, Emirati officials have softened their public tone. Senior diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash has warned that a return to hostilities would be catastrophic, and Mohamed bin Zayed has spoken with the Emir of Qatar about diplomatic pathways. But as Giorgio Cafiero reports for The American Conservative, analysts caution this is not a true policy shift. Khalid Almezaini of Zayed University describes it as managed ambiguity and structural pragmatism, not a softening. Mira Al Hussein of the University of Edinburgh notes the UAE previously claimed a purely defensive posture before its direct strikes on Iran came to light, and argues Abu Dhabi is unlikely to forgive Tehran's targeting of Emirati territory. The likely path forward, Cafiero writes, is deeper alignment with Washington and Tel Aviv, with the UAE working to constrain Iranian power while keeping the door open to limited de-escalation down the road. Those are today's highlights. For the full stories and more, visit theamericanconservative.com. Thank you for starting your morning with us.

    4 min

  5. 4d ago

    June 08, 2026

    Good morning! Today is Monday, June 8th 2026, and this is The American Conservative's Morning Brief. Iran fired ballistic missiles at Israel Sunday night in the first major breach of the April ceasefire, after Israeli strikes on Beirut defied private White House objections and Trump publicly urged restraint on both sides. Jennifer Kavanagh argues in The American Conservative that Operation Epic Fury has been a strategic disaster, with Iran's regime, nuclear program, and missile arsenal largely intact and the Strait of Hormuz still closed. Kavanagh calls for managed retrenchment—ending Middle East security commitments, narrowing NATO obligations, and dropping strategic ambiguity on Taiwan—warning that the alternative is forced retreat dictated by adversaries or defeat. and now for the details. We begin with breaking news from the Middle East. Iran fired ballistic missiles at Israel Sunday night, following Israeli strikes earlier in the day on Beirut. It marks the first Iranian attack on Israel since a ceasefire was declared in April. The Israeli military said it intercepted the missiles, and no injuries have been reported. President Trump told Axios he intended to call Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urge restraint. In Trump's words, "Each of them had their fun. Israel had its strike, and Iran had its strike. We don't need another one." Israeli hardliners pushed in the opposite direction. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted on social media that "Tehran must burn tonight." As Andrew Day reports for The American Conservative, Tehran maintains the ceasefire covers Lebanon, where Israel continues a deadly campaign, and therefore both Israel and the United States have violated the truce. The exchange comes just days after Washington brokered an Israel-Lebanon ceasefire that Hezbollah has rejected, and represents the most serious test yet of the fragile end to the Iran War. The Israeli strikes that touched off Iran's retaliation came against the public and private objections of the White House. As Harrison Berger reports, Israel bombed Beirut's southern suburbs on Sunday, despite a U.S. request last week not to attack the Lebanese capital. In an interview aired on NBC's Meet the Press, President Trump said he "would like to see a more surgical attack against Hezbollah." Iranian officials responded sharply. A spokesman for Iran's Parliament Commission on National Security warned of a "decisive and painful response," and Iran's Speaker of Parliament said the naval blockade and what he called America's "green light" make U.S. bases and assets in the region "legitimate targets." Trump told NBC that the U.S. and Iran are "very close" to a deal, with only a few points remaining. But Tehran has made a Lebanon ceasefire, including an Israeli withdrawal, a precondition for ending the war. Lebanon's Health Ministry reports Israeli strikes have killed at least 3,613 people since early March. Brent Crude closed Friday at $93 a barrel, and AAA reports the national average price of regular gasoline at $4.17. In a major essay for The American Conservative, Jennifer Kavanagh argues that the war President Trump launched against Iran on February 28th has produced a strategic disaster, and that the consequences will reshape American foreign policy for a generation. Three months into Operation Epic Fury, the regime in Tehran remains in place, Iran's nuclear program is intact, and the Strait of Hormuz, once the passageway for twenty percent of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas, remains effectively closed. Reports suggest Iran retains up to seventy percent of its pre-war missiles and access to thirty of its thirty-three missile sites. The Pentagon has told Congress the first forty days of war cost twenty-nine billion dollars, but Kavanagh notes the true figure is likely double that, before counting damage to at least sixteen U.S. installations across eight countries, dozens of destroyed sensors and radars, and forty-two damaged or destroyed aircraft. The United States has burned through roughly a thousand Tomahawk missiles and nearly half its Patriot and THAAD stockpiles. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has acknowledged it will take years to replenish them. Kavanagh's conclusion is blunt. The era of American military dominance is over, and consolidation alone will not suffice. She calls for managed retrenchment, organized around two narrow interests: defending the homeland and ensuring access to key economic markets. That would mean ending security commitments in the Middle East, returning to a literal reading of NATO's Article 5, dropping strategic ambiguity on Taiwan, and pulling back from alliance commitments in Thailand, the Philippines, and South Korea. The alternative, she warns, is forced retrenchment, dictated by adversaries, fiscal pressures, or defeat in a war Washington is not prepared to fight. Those are today's highlights. For the full stories and more, visit theamericanconservative.com. T

    5 min

  6. 5d ago

    June 07, 2026

    Good morning! Today is Sunday, June 7th 2026, and this is The American Conservative's Morning Brief. As FISA Section 702 nears its June 12 expiration, Harrison Berger reports on the bipartisan establishment's scramble to renew warrantless surveillance powers — and why civil libertarians shouldn't celebrate too soon even if it lapses. Ted Galen Carpenter argues that the deepening Russia–China partnership, on display at last month's Putin–Xi summit, is the predictable result of decades of Washington's own strategic blunders. Carpenter suggests Moscow's reluctant role as Beijing's junior partner may still offer an opening for American statecraft to unwind the alliance it helped forge. and now for the details. We begin in Washington, where a key surveillance authority is set to expire on June 12th, and the bipartisan establishment is scrambling to keep it alive. FISA Section 702 allows the government to sweep up communications from foreign targets without a warrant — communications that often include Americans on the other end of the line. A 45-day clean extension passed on April 30th after House leadership blocked an amendment that would have required warrants for so-called backdoor searches of Americans' data. Senate Intelligence Chairman Tom Cotton of Arkansas has been pushing a clean three-year reauthorization, but the effort has stalled. Vice Chairman Mark Warner of Virginia withdrew his support after President Trump tapped Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, telling Senate Majority Leader John Thune he can no longer deliver Democratic votes. As Harrison Berger reports for The American Conservative, Senator Ron Wyden and Congressman Thomas Massie are pointing to a secret March 17th FISA Court opinion documenting what they call serious abuses by federal agencies, particularly the FBI. Berger reminds readers of a 2022 court opinion that found an FBI analyst had queried the 702 database to run a batch search on more than 19,000 donors to a congressional campaign. Berger cautions, though, that even if 702 expires, the surveillance state has other tools. CIA whistleblower Patrick Eddington notes that Executive Order 12333 would remain intact, as would the so-called data broker loophole — the government's purchase of commercially available information on Americans. A 2022 advisory report warned that such data can be used to, quote, "pry into private lives, ruin reputations, and cause emotional distress." Berger concludes that civil libertarians may have reason to celebrate if 702 lapses, but the broader surveillance apparatus will continue regardless. Turning now to the world stage. Last month's summit between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping produced more than 40 cooperation agreements and deepened what is now a robust strategic partnership between Moscow and Beijing. Writing for The American Conservative, Ted Galen Carpenter argues this alignment was not inevitable — it was manufactured in Washington. Carpenter traces the story back to the implicit assurances given by President George H.W. Bush that NATO would not expand eastward following German reunification. Successive administrations broke that understanding, admitting former Warsaw Pact states and pieces of the former Yugoslavia into NATO, and inching the alliance toward Russia's border. The 2014 ouster of Ukraine's elected president, Carpenter writes, triggered the seizure of Crimea, and the 2022 escalation became a full proxy war between NATO and Russia. When the Biden administration tried to enlist Beijing against Moscow, China instead deepened its energy purchases from Russia and ramped up joint military exercises. Carpenter notes that Russia and China are unlikely natural allies — they share a long border that has produced bitter disputes, including fighting along the Amur River as recently as 1969. But American policy, he argues, has given both capitals every reason to view the United States as the principal threat. A smarter approach, Carpenter concludes, would ease pressure on Russia, since China is the more likely peer competitor. Moscow, he suggests, does not enjoy playing second fiddle to Beijing — and there may still be an opening for American statecraft to weaken the partnership it helped create. Those are today's highlights. For the full stories and more, visit theamericanconservative.com. Thank you for starting your morning with us.

    5 min

  7. 6d ago

    June 06, 2026

    Good morning! Today is Saturday, June 6th 2026, and this is The American Conservative's Morning Brief. Jack Hunter reports that Thomas Massie, fresh off the most expensive primary loss in American history, has already filed for 2028 and is escalating his confrontations with pro-Israel donors, neoconservatives, and even the White House. David Brady covers the House passing the Ukraine Support Act 226 to 195, with just 18 Republicans on board—a sharp drop from the 101 who backed Ukraine aid in 2024—though the Senate is unlikely to take it up. Harrison Berger tracks the fraying Iran ceasefire on day 59, as Tehran claims warning strikes on U.S. Navy vessels, CENTCOM denies it, and Lebanon's president accuses Iran of using his country as a bargaining chip. and now for the details. We begin this morning in Kentucky, where Congressman Thomas Massie is showing no signs of retreat after losing what's been called the most expensive primary race in American history. Just days after his defeat last month, Massie filed with the Federal Election Commission for the 2028 House race, while leaving open the possibility of a run for the White House. According to FEC data, Massie received donations from over 1,100 individuals actually living in Kentucky, compared to just 98 for his Trump-endorsed challenger Ed Gallrein. Megyn Kelly has reported that an estimated thirty million dollars was spent by pro-Israel groups to unseat him. As Jack Hunter reports for The American Conservative, rather than backing down, Massie is calling these forces out more directly than ever. When the head of the Republican Jewish Coalition boasted that his group spent five million dollars to defeat Massie, the congressman pointed out the contradiction of openly bragging about the very influence that critics are told doesn't exist. Hunter notes Massie has continued to press his America First agenda in his remaining months in office, cosponsoring the Iran War Powers Resolution that passed the House this week with the support of three other Republicans, introducing the Block the Bombs Act to limit offensive weapons transfers to Israel, and pledging to strip a provision from the National Defense Authorization Act that would integrate the U.S. and Israeli militaries. On that point, Massie was joined by California Democrat Ro Khanna, who pledged a parallel amendment in committee. Hunter writes that Massie isn't acting like a defeated man—he acts more like someone who's just getting started. Turning to Capitol Hill, the House passed the Ukraine Support Act Thursday evening by a vote of 226 to 195. Eighteen Republicans and Independent Rep. Kevin Kiley of California joined all but one Democrat to advance the measure, which authorizes eight billion dollars in loans to Ukraine and NATO allies, another billion dollars in additional funds for Ukraine and the Baltic states, and extends the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through 2027. The bill also introduces new sanctions targeting Russian energy and mining sectors. The Senate is unlikely to take up the legislation. David Brady reports for The American Conservative that several Republican members of the House Armed Services Committee supported the measure, including Joe Wilson of South Carolina, Mike Turner of Ohio, and Don Bacon of Nebraska. Brady highlights a notable shift in the GOP coalition: the support of just 18 House Republicans marks a steep decline from the 101 Republicans who backed a Ukraine security supplemental back in 2024. Overseas, the fragile ceasefire to the Iran War entered its 59th day Friday amid new signs of strain. Tehran said it fired what it called "warning missiles" and drones at U.S. Navy vessels in the Gulf of Oman. U.S. Central Command flatly denied the reports, calling them false and saying any such action would be a gross violation of the ceasefire. Iran's Quds Force and Revolutionary Guard have tied an end to the war to a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, and Tehran has said it will suspend indirect peace negotiations with Washington over the issue. Harrison Berger reports for The American Conservative that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, in an interview with CNN, criticized Iran for using Lebanon as what he called "a bargaining chip" in its negotiations with the United States. Meanwhile, Lebanon's Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, a close ally of Hezbollah, rejected the U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal. Berger notes the Lebanese Health Ministry reports Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 3,558 people in Lebanon since March 2nd, while Hezbollah attacks have killed 29 Israeli soldiers and three civilians over the same period. Brent Crude oil sat at $93.30 Friday morning, and AAA reported the national average price for regular gasoline at $4.22 a gallon. Those are today's highlights. For the full stories and more, visit theamericanconservative.com. Thank you for starting your morning with us.

    5 min

  8. Jun 5

    June 05, 2026

    Good morning! Today is Friday, June 5th 2026, and this is The American Conservative's Morning Brief. Anik Joshi traces how America's war with Iran is rippling through fragile economies from Indonesia to Pakistan, warning that even nations who opposed the conflict may quietly recalibrate their ties with Washington. The House passes the first successful war powers measure of the conflict, with four Republicans crossing the aisle to demand an end to a war Congress never authorized. Hezbollah rejects a U.S.-brokered Lebanon ceasefire as "shameful," even as oil markets cling to hopes that the Beirut track could crack open a path to ending the wider war. and now for the details. We begin this morning with the global fallout from the war with Iran, a conflict now well into its third month and rippling far beyond the Middle East. In the United States, the most visible impact has been higher gas prices and inflation. But abroad, the picture is darker. European economies, already battered by Covid and the Russia–Ukraine war, are straining under fresh energy shocks. Australia's prime minister has been publicly touting the acquisition of an extra hundred million liters of diesel, roughly one day's worth of national consumption. Indonesia is rationing fuel. Indian gas delivery workers fear for their safety amid shortages. Pakistan, now leading the push for a negotiated end to the war, is suffering blackouts. Across Africa and Latin America, subsidies are buckling under the price spike. Writing for The American Conservative, Anik Joshi argues that none of these nations supported America's war of choice, yet all are paying for it. Joshi notes that Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz has badly damaged its standing. But he warns that Washington and its allies should not assume they will escape blame. The traditional blowback from Middle Eastern adventures—refugee flows, regional instability—has now expanded to disrupting commodity flows that sustain the entire developing world. Joshi suggests this may quietly strain American relationships across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and raises a pointed question: what does it mean when the United States prioritizes Middle East entanglements over the commodity flows the rest of the world depends on? On Capitol Hill, the House of Representatives voted Wednesday to direct President Trump to end the war on Iran—the first successful passage of a war powers measure in either chamber since the conflict began more than three months ago. The final tally was 215 to 208. Four Republicans—Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Tom Barrett of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio, and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania—joined Democrats in support. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called it a "reckless and costly war of choice" that has cost everyday Americans hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back, warning the resolution would undermine ongoing negotiations with Tehran by stripping the president of leverage. As Joseph Addington reports for TAC, the measure is a concurrent resolution, meaning it expresses the sentiment of Congress but does not require the president's signature and does not carry the force of law. Still, Addington notes the vote marks a significant political milestone, increasing pressure on an administration prosecuting a war that Congress never formally authorized. Staying with the region, a U.S.-brokered ceasefire framework for Lebanon, agreed to Wednesday by Israel and the Lebanese government, has been rejected by Hezbollah. The militant group called the deal "shameful" and a "submission to the Greater Israel project." Tehran continues to insist that any ceasefire to the broader U.S.–Iran war must cover the entire region, including the Lebanese front. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the agreement grants Israel the freedom of action, with U.S. backing, to strike Beirut if Hezbollah attacks Israeli communities. Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said his group would continue fighting until Israel withdraws and halts its bombing of Lebanon. Lebanon's Health Ministry now puts the death toll from Israeli strikes at more than 3,500 since early March. Harrison Berger reports that oil markets responded with cautious optimism. Brent crude fell more than three percent Thursday on hopes the Lebanese track could open a path to ending the war with Iran and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. AAA reports the national average for regular gasoline at $4.24 a gallon—elevated, though below recent peaks. Those are today's highlights. For the full stories and more, visit theamericanconservative.com. Thank you for starting your morning with us.

    5 min
See All (40)

About

A short morning synopsis of TAC's coverage

Information