Trump refuses to answer 'stupid question' from Fox News about Russia helping Iran target Americans
At the conclusion of his White House roundtable on college sports on Friday, former President Donald Trump invited questions and selected Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy, a frequent interlocutor.
Doocy inquired about reports that Russia is providing intelligence to Iran to assist in targeting US assets in retaliatory strikes.
“Thank you, president Trump,” Doocy said. “It sounds like the Russians are helping Iran target and attack Americans now-”
Trump interrupted, joking that Russia's potential assistance to Iran in the conflict initiated by the US and Israel was “an easy problem compared to what we’re doing here,” referencing the ongoing discussion about changes in college sports.
After a pause for laughter from attendees, Trump reprimanded Doocy for raising the war topic.
“But can I be honest? It’s just- I have a lot of respect for you. You’ve always been very nice to me. What a stupid question that is to be asking at this time. We’re talking about something else.”
The Associated Press reported on Friday that Russia, whose president Vladimir Putin met with Trump last year to discuss ending the Ukraine war, has supplied Iran with information that could enable it to strike American warships, aircraft, and other assets in the region, according to two officials familiar with US intelligence.
A few minutes later, Trump again addressed Doocy, saying,
“Peter, I’ll give you one more chance, because that was a bad question you asked before.”When Doocy asked if he could raise a topic other than college sports, Trump declined.
Since launching the war on Iran alongside Israel from his Mar-a-Lago club on Saturday, Trump has largely avoided reporter questions. Upon returning to the White House, he paused in the Rose Garden to admire newly installed statues of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson while reporters shouted questions about his objectives and leadership preferences for Iran. Trump pointed to the statues and said,
“Unbelievable statues, you’ll see, come and look at them.”Reporters remained at a distance and continued to call for him to discuss Iran, but Trump walked away without responding, ignoring questions about messages to families of fallen service members.
US justice department searching for evidence Cuba's leaders broke US law - report
Jason Reding Quiñones, the US attorney in Miami, is leading a working group tasked with finding evidence that Cuba’s leaders have violated US laws, potentially providing justification for military intervention, according to reports.
Law enforcement sources expressed concern that this approach represents a significant departure from Justice Department standards, which typically require evidence or intelligence indicating a specific crime before initiating an investigation.
Sources indicated that the working group appears to have selected a target aligned with the White House’s regime change objectives and is now seeking potential crimes to charge.
Justice Department spokesman Chad Gilmartin did not deny the working group's existence but characterized the effort as routine, stating,
“Federal prosecutors from across the country work every day to pursue justice, which includes efforts to combat transnational crime.”Gilmartin, a former aide to Trump’s first-term press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, was hired by McEnany in 2020 and is related by marriage to her husband, former baseball pitcher Sean Gilmartin.
Vinay Prasad, FDA's vaccine chief, to step down, again
Dr. Vinay Prasad, head of the US Food and Drug Administration’s vaccines and biologics unit, is departing the agency for a second time, a spokesperson confirmed to on Friday.
FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary acknowledged Prasad’s exit, noting,
“He’s really been successful and gotten a lot done in one year.”
Prasad, an oncologist known for his vaccine skepticism, made several controversial regulatory decisions during his tenure overseeing vaccine and biotechnology product approvals.
Last month, the FDA unexpectedly rejected Moderna’s application for a flu shot utilizing messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, a decision experts warned could hinder vaccine development.
Prasad was initially appointed director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research in May last year but briefly stepped down in July amid controversy involving a far-right podcaster with influence over Trump.
Trump welcomes Iran war supporter Condoleezza Rice to the White House
Donald Trump, who in a 2016 Republican primary debate criticized the George W. Bush administration for allegedly fabricating Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction claims, recently hosted Condoleezza Rice, a prominent member of that administration, at the White House for a college sports roundtable.
During the event titled “Saving College Sports,” Trump singled out Rice, saying,
“We have some great people. Condoleezza, thank you very much. I see you over there. Great to have you. Great to be with you.”
This cordial reception contrasts with Trump’s 2016 remarks, made a decade after he had expressed support for impeaching George W. Bush over the Iraq war, which he described as “a big fat mistake” that destabilized the Middle East.
Rice, who served as Bush’s national security adviser, was a key advocate for the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, famously asserting that uncertainty about Saddam Hussein’s nuclear capabilities did not undermine the case for war. She stated,
“The problem here is that there will always be some uncertainty about how quickly he can acquire nuclear weapons. But we don’t want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud.”
However, as Trump initiated a regime change campaign against Iran, Rice has strongly supported his actions.
On Wednesday, she declared,
“To say that this regime was not a threat … it’s ahistorical. They have been a threat for a long time.”She cited Iran’s nuclear program and its role in supplying proxy militias responsible for attacks on US troops in Iraq.
Rice added,
“Iran has been at war with us for at least 47 years. If you ask people about Iraq, what was the source of many of our casualties in Iraq, you’ll get estimates as high as 75 or 80% of them were due to Iranian-made roadside bombs.”
Trump claimed on Thursday that Iran accounted for “95%” of casualties in Iraq during the US occupation.
In the final days of his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump criticized Liz Cheney, daughter of Bush’s vice president, for supporting his rival Kamala Harris. He accused Cheney of advocating for wars and claimed she urged him to attack Iran.
Reporter Lucy Campbell noted that Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian recently spoke with Russian president Vladimir Putin, according to Iranian government news. This coincides with reports alleging Russian provision of targeting information to Iran against US forces.
When asked about Russia’s involvement affecting Ukraine peace efforts, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated the administration still considers peace achievable but declined to confirm Moscow’s assistance to Tehran.
Oversight Democrats say White House 'cover-up is ongoing' after justice department releases more files
Following the Justice Department’s release of additional files related to Jeffrey Epstein on Thursday, including FBI memos of interviews with a woman who made uncorroborated allegations against Epstein and Donald Trump, House oversight Democrats accused the White House of continuing a cover-up.
Committee spokesperson Sara Guerrero stated,
“Millions of pages still remain concealed from the public and our committee. We will get answers when Pam Bondi appears before our committee under oath.”
This development follows the committee’s passage of a motion to subpoena the attorney general to testify.
Here's a recap of the day so far
Donald Trump told CNN in a phone interview that Cuba is “going to fall pretty soon,” echoing his prior White House remarks that Cuba desires to “make a deal so badly.” Cuba is experiencing dwindling oil reserves after US attacks on its petroleum shipments in January and subsequent threats of tariffs on countries supplying Cuba with oil. Currently, half the country faces blackouts.
Earlier, Trump declared there would be no deal with Iran “except unconditional surrender,” adding that after leadership changes, the US would work to rebuild Iran’s economy stronger than before. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that once Iran no longer “poses a threat” and Operation Epic Fury’s goals are met, Iran will be in a state of unconditional surrender.
The US Customs and Border Protection agency is preparing a system to process refunds within 45 days for importers affected by tariffs imposed by Trump that were ruled illegal, according to a court filing. Brandon Lord, a senior CBP official, stated this will allow about 330,000 importers to receive $166 billion without needing to sue.
The US lost 92,000 jobs in February, marking a significant labor market slowdown preceding Trump’s conflict with Iran. Democratic lawmakers criticized the data as evidence of Trump’s “failed economic agenda,” while White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett called the report “something of a surprise” but maintained the economy remains “really strong.”
The Justice Department released additional Epstein-related documents on Thursday, including FBI memos with interviews of a woman alleging misconduct by Epstein and Trump. These files were previously withheld due to misclassification as duplicates.
White House praises new pick for DHS secretary following Noem ouster
Karoline Leavitt commended Senator Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican, who was nominated to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following the removal of the previous secretary.
Leavitt described Mullin as
“a strong friend of the president”and
“a big supporter”of the administration’s immigration policies, adding,
“He’s exceptionally talented. We look forward to his expeditious confirmation and I know the White House will be working with our counterparts in the Senate to make that happen as quickly as possible.”
Leavitt also provided no new information regarding the investigation into a bombing of a girls’ school in Iran that killed 175 people. On Wednesday, she noted the Pentagon was investigating the incident.
Earlier reports indicated military investigators believe US forces likely caused the attack but have not reached a final conclusion.
White House says that administration is 'well on our way' to achieving Operation Epic Fury objectives
Speaking outside the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated she did not want to
“get ahead of the president on any timelines”but reiterated expectations that the military operation would last about four to six weeks and that the administration is
“well on our way”to achieving Operation Epic Fury’s goals.
Regarding US forces gaining control of Iranian airspace, she said,
“We are well on our way to doing so.”
Leavitt elaborated on the president’s stance, saying,
“When he, as commander-in-chief of the US armed forces, determines that Iran no longer poses a threat to the United States of America and the goal of Operation Epic Fury has been fully realized, then Iran will essentially be in a place of unconditional surrender.”
She noted the president’s interest in Iran’s next leader, having previously called the late supreme leader’s son an
“unacceptable”option. Leavitt mentioned that US intelligence and government officials are assessing multiple candidates but declined further comment.
‘The stakes could not be higher’: UN chief urges end to ‘all unlawful attacks in Middle East’
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and serious diplomatic negotiations in the Middle East.
In a message posted on X, he wrote:
“All the unlawful attacks in the Middle East and beyond are causing tremendous suffering and harm to civilians throughout the region – and pose a grave a risk to the global economy, particularly to the most vulnerable people.
The situation could spiral beyond anyone’s control.
It is time to stop the fighting and get to serious diplomatic negotiations.
The stakes could not be higher.”
