The Pentagon is sending thousands of additional troops into the Middle East in the coming days, as the Trump administration attempts to pressure Iran into a deal that could end the weeks-long conflict there while considering the possibility of additional strikes or ground operations if a fragile ceasefire does not hold, U.S. officials said.
The forces moving into the region include about 6,000 troops aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush and several warships escorting it, said current and former officials, who like some others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss military movements. About 4,200 others with the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and its embarked Marine Corps task force, the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, are expected to arrive near the end of the month.
The infusion of firepower appears likely to coalesce with warships already in the Middle East just as the two-week ceasefire is set to expire April 22. The troops will join the estimated 50,000 personnel that the Pentagon has said are involved in operations countering Iran.
President Donald Trump, in a bid to squeeze Tehran economically, on Sunday announced a blockade of maritime traffic leaving and arriving at Iranian ports. He is attempting to press the Iranian regime into reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passage for the shipment of Middle Eastern oil transiting the Persian Gulf, and end its nuclear program in negotiations led by Vice President JD Vance. Talks faltered over the weekend, but the presidentsaid that they could resume later this week.
On Wednesday, Trump told Fox Business that he thought the war in Iran could be over “very soon” and he expected gas prices to fall to prewar levels by the midterms “on the assumption” that the United States is able to stop Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon. “When that’s settled, gas prices are going to go down tremendously,” he said.
I’d say that is highly unlikely–another example of Trump’s delusional thinking. More from the WaPo:
Iran escalated threats to choke off international trade, with military commander Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi saying Iran would block imports and exports from the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Red Sea in response to the U.S. blockade. “Iran will take powerful action to defend its national sovereignty and interests,” he said in comments reported by Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency.
The arrival of additional American warships will put even greater pressure on Iran and provide Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, and other senior military leaders with more options should negotiations fail, said James Foggo, a retired Navy admiral and dean at the Center for Maritime Strategy in Northern Virginia….
The USS George H.W. Bush pulls away from Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia last month. (Kendall WarnerThe Virginian-PilotAP)
The arrival of the additional forces will provide commanders with three aircraft carriers in the region, each with dozens of fighter jets. The USS Abraham Lincoln has been in the Middle East since January, while the USS Gerald R. Ford arrived in the eastern Mediterranean Sea in February, extending a marathon deployment that included time last year in Europe and involvement in operations off Venezuela at the beginning of this year.
The USS George H.W. Bush was close to the Cape of Good Hope, near South Africa, on Tuesday and expected to make an unusual hook around the bottom of the continent on its way to the Middle East, two officials familiar with the matter said. The path to the region was first reported by USNI News.
The three-ship Boxer Amphibious Ready Group last week departed from Hawaii and is now a couple of weeks from the Middle East, officials said. The embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit includes an infantry battalion of more than 800 personnel, plus helicopters and naval landing craft. A similar unit, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, arrived in the Middle East from Okinawa, Japan, late in March.
JD Vance, a recent convert to Catholicism has been busy lecturing Pope Leo XIV.
Anton Troianovski at The New York Times: Vance Says the Pope Should Be More Careful When Talking About Theology.
Vice President JD Vance invoked World War II on Tuesday to defend the U.S. bombing of Iran from criticism by Pope Leo XIV, extending the Trump administration’s spat with the Catholic Church and underlining the White House’s struggle to justify an unpopular war.
Mr. Vance, who is Catholic, told a conservative audience at the University of Georgia that the pope was wrong to say that disciples of Christ are “never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.”
“Was God on the side of the Americans who liberated France from the Nazis?” Mr. Vance said after referring to the pope’s comment. “I certainly think the answer is yes.”
That seems like a flawed conclusion. Just because the “good guys” won, that means that God helped them to victory?
President Trump has appeared stung by Leo’s condemnation of the war, criticism that has highlighted the challenge the administration faces from the coalition of conservative and religious voters who helped elect Mr. Trump in 2024. The president lashed out at the pope on Sunday in a social media post that called the first American-born pontiff “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy.”
Pope Leo in Algeria
Leo has stuck to his antiwar stance, telling reporters Monday that he had “no fear of the Trump administration.” Without mentioning Iran or Mr. Trump, the pope posted on social media on Tuesday that “God’s heart is torn apart by wars, violence, injustice and lies.”
The back-and-forth has presented a particular quandary for Mr. Vance, a convert to Catholicism who is publishing a book about his path to the faith and who has long courted the Republican religious base. Asked about the debate between Mr. Trump and the pope at an Athens, Ga., event hosted by the conservative group Turning Point USA, Mr. Vance admonished Leo, saying that if he was “going to opine on matters of theology,” his comments needed to be “anchored in the truth.”
“In the same way that it’s important for the vice president of the United States to be careful when I talk about matters of public policy, I think it’s very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology,” Mr. Vance said.
Okay, JD. I’m sure you know more about “matters of theology” than the Pope.
It seems that some Trump supporters disagree with Vance. AP: As Vance rallies with Turning Point, some supporters bristle at Trump’s war, memes and feuds.
ATHENS, Georgia (AP) — Fresh from a marathon trip to Pakistan that failed to reach a deal for ending the war with Iran, Vice President JD Vance jetted to this Georgia college town for a campus tour organized by the conservative powerhouse Turning Point USA.
But instead of showcasing the youthful energy that the organization harnessed to return President Donald Trump to the White House less than two years ago, there was a mostly empty arena, awkward questions and unusually sharp criticism.
JD Vance at Turning Point event in Athens, Georgia
The event affirmed Trump’s difficulty selling the war and how much he’s complicated his own political fortunes by assailing Pope Leo XIV and posting a social media meme that depicted himself as Jesus.
“I did vote for Trump. I am not a Trump supporter anymore,” said Joseph Bercher, a Catholic who said he was glad that Leo has expressed opposition to the war with Iran.
Bercher said the Jesus meme, which the president took down Monday after a rare conservative backlash, was a “red flag” indicating Trump’s true character.
“He sees himself as like a demagogue or someone to be worshipped,” Bercher said….
Many of the college-age attendees donned Turning Point attire, Trump hats and red-white-and-blue paraphernalia for the event. Yet they were outnumbered more than 2-to-1 by empty seats in what is not even the largest arena on this sprawling campus that sits about a 90-minute drive from downtown Atlanta.
A Marine veteran who served in Iraq, Vance acknowledged that not all young conservatives are enamored with another U.S. war in the Middle East.
Both Democrat Eric Swalwell and Republican Tony Gonzales have resigned from the House of Representatives.
NBC News: Reps. Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales officially resign amid misconduct claims.
Both Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, resigned from Congress in disgrace Tuesday, pre-empting a push by their House colleagues to expel them from office.
Both lawmakers were facing unrelated House Ethics investigations into alleged sexual misconduct, in some cases with women who had worked for them, a violation of House rules. Their resignations mean that those investigations effectively come to an end, since the Ethics Committee only has jurisdiction over sitting members of Congress.
Investigations by law enforcement agencies can continue; and the Manhattan district attorney’s office has said it has launched a probe into Swalwell focused on an alleged assault that took place in New York.
On Tuesday, another woman alleged that Swalwell drugged, raped and choked her in a California hotel room in 2018. Her lawyers said she was going to report the incident to law enforcement later in the day….
Gonzales, first elected to Congress in 2020, had been dogged by rumors and allegations of sexual misconduct since last September, when one of his staffers, Regina Santos-Aviles, died by suicide.
Text messages obtained by NBC News and confirmed by the woman’s husband show that Gonzales had sent Santos-Aviles sexually explicit messages in May 2024. And Gonzales later admitted he had an affair with her while she was his subordinate.
A second woman who had worked for Gonzales told NBC News that he had also sent her sexually explicit text messages, including repeatedly asking for sex and nude photos. A spokesperson did not respond to that allegation. Gonzales said in March he would not seek re-election, but after the Swalwell scandal, Gonzales said he would quit Congress early, heading off an expulsion vote.
Liz Goodwin at The Washington Post (gift article): How Eric Swalwell rose to the top of Democratic politics as rumors followed him.
When Cheyenne Hunt first arrived on Capitol Hill as a staffer in 2020, several other young women working there warned her privately: Stay away from Rep. Eric Swalwell.
Swalwell could be “creepy,” Hunt said other women told her, especially over social media.
Lonna Drewes (left) speaks during a press conference alleging California congressman Eric Swalwell (right) raped her. Getty Images, California Environmental Voters
Six years later, Hunt is one of several women who have leveraged their large followings online to go after Swalwell, enlisting women to come forward with their stories and connecting them with reporters at CNN and other outlets. Late last week, allegations that include sexual assault of a former staffer and sending unsolicited explicit messages to young women came to light in investigations published by CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle. On Tuesday, a woman accused Swalwell of raping her in 2018.
In recent days, Swalwell (D) exited the California governor’s race and resigned from Congress. He apologized for some “mistakes in judgment” he made while in office in a statement on Monday. The Washington Post has not independently verified the allegations, and Azari and Swalwell’s Capitol Hill staff did not respond to a detailed list of questions for this article.
The stunning fall has Hunt and others asking how someone who was dogged by persistent rumors of inappropriate behavior toward women similar to what she heard in 2020 could have risen so high and so fast in a party that says it supports women’s rights.
“We do need to take a look inward as a party because it was an open secret,” said Hunt, the executive director of the youth group Gen Z for Change, referring to the Democratic Party. “Not necessarily that he was assaulting people but that he was a creep. That was well known.” [….]
Rumors that Swalwell, 45, had affairs in Washington followed him, but there is no evidence that the more serious allegations of sexual assault were circulating among Democrats while his career took off, these people said. This week, Democratic politicians who were close allies of Swalwell including Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker from California, and Sen. Ruben Gallego, from neighboring Arizona, have said they knew nothing about allegations against Swalwell. Gallego told reporters on Monday he believed Swalwell led a “double life.”
You can use the gift link to read the rest.
Gabby Birenbaum at The Texas Tribune: Rep. Tony Gonzales resigns from Congress amid backlash over sexual misconduct allegations.
Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, submitted his resignation Tuesday from the U.S. House, ending a five-year congressional career months after he revealed he had an affair with an aide who later died by suicide.
Tony Gonzales
“There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all,” Gonzales said in a statement Monday evening previewing his intention to leave office. “When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas.” [….]
Gonzales, a Navy veteran first elected in 2020, admitted to having an affair with a staffer in early March, weeks after the San Antonio Express-News reported on the extramarital tryst, including text messages in which the staffer pushed back against Gonzales’ requests for nude photos….
The House Ethics Committee had opened an investigation into the San Antonio congressman to determine whether he “engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual employed in his office” and “discriminated unfairly by dispensing special favors or privileges.” [….]
A former Gonzales campaign staffer came forward last week saying Gonzales had been sexually inappropriate with her as well, including sharing text messages in which the then-candidate had asked her for nude photos and for sex.
Good Riddance to both of them.
Those are the stories that interested me today. What’s on your mind?
peej
Carissa
ecocatwoman
mablue2
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
The Daily Beast: Pentagon Pete Hit With Impeachment Effort as Scandals Mount.
Democrats in Congress are bringing articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth over a slew of scandals that have all but engulfed his tenure as defense secretary.
A seven-page resolution, first obtained by Axios, lays out no less than five articles against the Pentagon chief relating to everything from alleged war crimes and abuse of power to the legality of U.S. strikes against Iran and the Signalgate scandal.
The outlet notes that while the measures have “virtually no chance of passing” in the Republican-controlled House, it shows “Democrats have coalesced around Hegseth as their new top target” following the shock ouster of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi over the past few weeks.
NBC News: Trump administration moves to toss remaining Jan. 6 convictions, clearing Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.
The Trump administration moved Tuesday to clear some of the last remaining convictions related to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, as some still stood following President Donald Trump’s mass pardons last year.
The filing, submitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit by the office of the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, asks the court to “vacate” the convictions of four members of the Proud Boys: Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl and Dominic Pezzola.
The four were convicted in 2023 of multiple felony charges, and all but Pezzola were convicted of seditious conspiracy….
Rehl, who was seen on video from Jan. 6 spraying officers with pepper spray, wrote in a post on X that he is “beyond thrilled” about the administration’s filing.
“After all the fighting, it appears this chapter is finally over. Persistently fighting for truth and justice pays off!” Rehl wrote. “Thank you for everyone who supported us in this fight! Love you all!”
Rehl was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison in 2023. He had testified that he did not “recall” spraying officers with a chemical substance.
NBC News: Another pardoned Jan. 6 rioter to admit guilt in child sexual abuse case.
Another Jan. 6 rioter pardoned by President Donald Trump will plead guilty in a separate case involving child exploitation of multiple victims, according to federal court records.
David Daniel has reached a plea agreement in connection with a pending charge of sexual exploitation of a minor and possessing sexually explicit images of children in federal court in the Western District of North Carolina.
According to court documents Daniel’s lawyer signed Tuesday, in 2015 and 2016 Daniel enticed a minor under age 12 “to engage in sexually explicit conduct” for the purpose of producing “a visual depiction” of the conduct.
The details of Daniel’s case emerged in part as investigators probed his involvement in the Capitol attack. Prosecutors said he persuaded another minor victim to engage in “sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing” a visual depiction of the conduct, authorities said. That victim was under 18.