Top World News
May 20, 2026
'Straight out of South Park': MS NOW hosts burst into laughter as Trump plan falls apart
MS NOW host Joe Scarborough and “Morning Joe” regular John Heilemann had a good laugh on Wednesday morning over a report that Donald Trump and the Israelis had a grand plan to reinstall Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the leader of Iran.According to the New York Times report, “… the audacious plan, developed by the Israelis and which Mr. Ahmadinejad had been consulted about, quickly went awry, according to the U.S. officials who were briefed on it.”The report added, “Mr. Ahmadinejad was injured on the war’s first day by an Israeli strike” and that “after the near miss he became disillusioned with the regime change plan.”On “Morning Joe,” the Times' Elizabeth Buhmiller prompted the conversation by noting that, when it comes to Iran, Trump is “ …kind of stuck in a corner. He — it's a real problem.”Pointing to the aborted Ahmadinejad plan, she added, “It just shows you how unplanned and by the seat of their pants this war is.”Co-host Scarborough then piled on as Heilemann burst into laughter. “It ended up all the time the moderate was Ahmadinejad, who would have known they were going to blow him out of prison, almost killed him,” Scarborough sarcastically pointed out as Heilemann laughed. “Of course, this is like, this is straight out of — this is, this is straight out of a South Park episode or a movie.”“What was the movie where they had the American heroes that saved Paris by blowing up the Eiffel Tower and everything else?” he joked. “Great movie a couple of years ago. But anyway, that's what, that's what we were doing.” - YouTube youtu.be
May 20, 2026
Trump cuts left region 'dangerously exposed' to fatal virus now infecting hundreds: report
A humanitarian group says that funding cuts by the Trump administration left a region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo "dangerously exposed" to a rare strain of Ebola that has killed more than a hundred people, according to a new report. The International Rescue Committee told Politico that losing funding under the Trump administration in March 2025 forced it to reduce early-warning systems to detect Ebola in the region. "Funding cuts have left the region dangerously exposed," Heather Reoch Kerr, the IRC's Congo country director, told Politico. "The sharp rise in reported cases over the last few days reflects the reality that surveillance systems are now catching up with transmission that has likely been occurring for some time."With the most recent outbreak of Ebola, more than 500 people are suspected to be infected with the virus, according to the World Health Organization. The WHO declared the outbreak, which started in April, a public health emergency over the weekend. The strain spreading is Bundibugyo, a rare variant for which no licensed vaccine or targeted treatment exists. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday that the "scale and speed" of the current outbreak is alarming, according to Politico. Kerr explained that the IRC shut down "health and preparedness work" in three sections of the Ituri Province, which is "the epicenter of the outbreak" in the DRC right now, Politico reported.
May 19, 2026
Trump official helped fugitive foreign justice minister flee prosecution: report
A foreign minister accused of a slew of crimes, including stealing from a fund for crime victims, was able to flee his country with the help of a Trump official, according to a new report. Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro faces more than two dozen charges in his country related to alleged misuse of funds for political gain, according to reporting by Reuters. He was a member of Poland's right-wing nationalist Law and Justice Party. Ziobro originally fled his country in 2025 to live in Hungary, where the Trump-endorsed authoritarian former Prime Minister Viktor Orban gave him asylum. Soon after Orban lost his election in April to a pro-EU rival, Ziobro came to the U.S. in May, per reporting by Reuters. According to three sources who spoke to Reuters, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau "instructed senior State Department officials to facilitate and approve a visa for a fugitive former Polish cabinet minister." The new Hungarian prime minister, Peter Magyar, "had said that he would extradite him to Poland on his first day in office," according to Reuters. Landau was able to secure a visa for Ziobro just ahead of Magyar's swearing-in on May 9, Reuters added. "While the Trump administration has made it a priority to support conservative views in Europe, granting a visa to a politician facing criminal charges by a U.S.-allied government is highly unusual," according to Reuters. "Reuters described Ziobro as "the architect of changes to the Polish judicial system that the EU has said undermined the rule of law during the 2015-2023 rule of the conservative Law and Justice party." Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters on Tuesday that "we will certainly be very consistent, and no one can expect us to give up" on trying to bring Ziobro into Polish court, according to Reuters.
May 19, 2026
Trump envoy hands out MAGA hats to Greenland kids — and gets middle fingers in return
Donald Trump's latest attempt to win over the people of Greenland crashed and burned after the president dispatched Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry to the Danish territory as a goodwill ambassador — only to have locals greet him with middle fingers and rejections of his giveaway MAGA merchandise.According to the New York Times, Landry arrived in Nuuk, Greenland's capital, on Sunday claiming he was on a mission to "make a bunch of friends." Within hours, the Times reported, he got nothing but cold shoulders and dismissals. Landry toured the town in cold drizzle, offering free MAGA hats to Greenlandic children, only to be greeted with refusals. He then attempted to sweeten his pitch by telling some kids that if they visited his Louisiana mansion, they could have "all the chocolate chip cookies you can eat."Landry's delegation carried "cardboard boxes stuffed with MAGA hats," but few residents wanted them, the report said.As Landry traveled about on Sunday, he was the recipient of "scowls," with local Hanne Hansen bluntly stating, "They should fix their own country first," and her friend Vivi Nielsen adding, "They need to get out," the Times added.The next day, Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen expressed his country's firm rejection of American pressure. "We have our red lines. And no matter how many chocolate cookies we get, we are not going to change them," Nielsen told Denmark's public broadcaster DR.The offer of free MAGA hats was noteworthy in that Greenlandic entrepreneurs have already had success selling red baseball caps reading "Make America Go Away"Landry's visit comes as the Trump administration is pursuing aggressive demands on Greenland far beyond Trump's earlier threats to seize the island. The U.S. is demanding effective veto power over major investment deals to exclude Russia and China, and is pushing to insert a "forever clause" into decades-old military agreements ensuring U.S. troops remain on the island even if Greenland becomes independent, the Times' Maya Tekeli and Jeffrey Gettleman reported.Greenlandic officials were particularly troubled by an American doctor accompanying Landry to assess Greenland's medical system — one of the top reasons Greenlanders cite for not wanting to join the United States.
May 19, 2026
Trump says he was 'an hour away' from major new military strike before allies intervened
President Donald Trump told reporters on Tuesday that he was "an hour away" from striking Iran when Middle East allies asked him to stop.Trump was speaking to press at the White House ballroom construction site when he started taking questions. He was asked about the reversed decision on Monday to stop a strike in Iran after several countries, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates that said they needed more time while "serious negotiations are now taking place." He signaled the conflict was not over, although the military operation was postponed."We may have to give them another big hit," Trump said.Q: How close were you to striking Iran yesterday?TRUMP: I was an hour away pic.twitter.com/LbsR6X5nWe— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 19, 2026
May 19, 2026
Onlookers floored as Trump's astounding proposal to Xi revealed: 'Of course he did'
The Financial Times revealed a proposal President Donald Trump had reportedly floated to Chinese President Xi Jinping last week during the U.S.-China summit in Beijing, one that left onlookers floored at its implications.“An indication of how mentally unstable Trump is, and how much he is Israel's message boy,” wrote Scottish writer and political commentator Grouse Beater, who manages a political commentary blog.Citing “several people familiar with the U.S. assessment” of the U.S.-China summit, the Financial Times reported that Trump has suggested to Xi that the United States, China and Russia “co-operate against the International Criminal Court (ICC),” the only intergovernmental organization with the authority to prosecute individuals for certain crimes, including genocide and crimes against humanity.Given that a close ally of Trump’s, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is currently wanted by the ICC for crimes against humanity, including “using starvation as a method of warfare,” several critics theorized that the alleged request was made at the behest of Netanyahu.“Of course he did,” wrote Max Uechtritz, a former foreign correspondent and senior news executive, in a social media post Tuesday on X.The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November of 2024 related to Israel’s ongoing siege of Gaza in response to the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas. As of Monday, Israel has killed at least 72,769 Gazans, the majority of them women, children and the elderly, per Gaza’s Health Ministry and an independent study from The Lancet, respectively. Actual death tolls, however, may be significantly higher, with exact counts difficult due to Israel still prohibiting international journalists from entering Gaza.Of course he did https://t.co/IMbtAhob1y— Max Uechtritz (@plesbilongmi) May 19, 2026
May 16, 2026
GOP civil war growing as party 'splinters' over Israel ties: report
A significant schism is emerging within the Republican Party over the extent to which the United States should support Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — with a substantial number of MAGA voters showing unwavering loyalty while non-MAGA conservatives increasingly question America's commitment to the longtime ally.According to Politico, new polling from The POLITICO Poll reveals stark divides among Republican voters on Israel policy, with the party's traditional unity on Middle East issues fracturing amid Trump's unpopular Iran war and growing skepticism about U.S. interventionism.Nearly half of self-identified MAGA Trump voters say they back Israel and approve of Netanyahu's government's actions, while just 29 percent of non-MAGA Trump voters say the same. The divide is even more pronounced on specific military operations: 41 percent of MAGA voters say Israel is justified in its military campaign in Gaza, compared with 31 percent of non-MAGA voters.On whether Israel has overextended militarily, 24 percent of MAGA voters believe the country was initially justified but has gone too far — compared with 31 percent of non-MAGA voters.Non-MAGA voters are notably more critical of Israeli influence on U.S. policy. They are 10 percentage points more likely than MAGA Trump voters to believe the Israeli government has too much influence over American foreign policy, Politico's Lisa Kashinsky and Erin Doherty are reporting.The emerging fractures have spilled into an ugly public debate, with prominent Republicans including Tucker Carlson, former Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Steve Bannon all criticizing America's close relationship with Israel — particularly as the Iran war escalates.Most Republican members of Congress and conservative influencers like Laura Loomer and Ben Shapiro have remained steadfast pro-Israel voices defending the administration's foreign policy approach.Republicans were powerfully unified in support of Israel in the immediate aftermath of Hamas' October 7 attack. But amid the Iran war and growing unease about Trump's foreign interventions, Israel's standing appears increasingly fragile among the non-MAGA wing of the GOP and among young conservatives."There is a sentiment right now within the Republican Party of, 'America First,' let's get out of all of the conflicts in the world, let's not be committed to those conflicts," said Amnon Cavari, an associate professor at the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy at Reichman University in Israel, told Politico.According to the report, the emerging Republican divide carries "significant implications" for the future of the U.S.-Israel alliance and GOP efforts to maintain the coalition that powered Trump's return to the White House.
May 15, 2026
Republicans furious as Hegseth blindsides Congress with shock troop cancellation
The Pentagon blindsided Republican lawmakers Friday after abruptly scrapping a 4,000-troop deployment to Poland, a decision that reportedly surprised Army leaders, according to Politico.Army leaders admitted they had no real answers about the shock cancellation, leaving Congress furious over the last-minute move as Republican lawmakers have had conflicting views from the Trump administration involving security efforts in Europe, Politico reported. Last year, lawmakers had established limits for troop withdrawals as tensions mounted over whether the Trump administration would pull back on sending troops to support European allies.Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) called it "a slap in the face" to America's NATO allies. "I just want to say this is a slap in the face to Poland; it’s a slap in the face to our Baltic friends," Bacon said. "It’s a slap to the face of this committee.""We don’t know what’s going on here, but I can just tell you we’re not happy with what’s being talked about, particularly since there’s been no statutory consultation with us," said Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth opted to cancel the plan — and lawmakers wanted to know why — demanding that Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and acting Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve explain what prompted the plan to change, Politico reported."The pair indicated the administration only made the decision in recent weeks and did not provide a rationale for it," according to Politico.
May 15, 2026
'This is so sad': MS NOW panel pounces as Trump lets China insult US
As Donald Trump returns from his trip to Beijing, where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the consensus of MS NOW’s “Morning Joe” panel is that the American president appears weaker now before the summit.And Trump all but admitted it.On Friday morning, longtime political analyst John Heilemann pointed to Trump’s admission that the Chinese leader talked about the US as a “declining nation,” without pushback, was a particularly humiliating effort by the American president to ingratiate himself to Xi.Pointing to Trump posting on Truth Social, “When President Xi very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation, he was referring to the tremendous damage we suffered during the four years of Sleepy Joe Biden and the Biden Administration, and on that score, he was 100% correct,” Heilemann admitted he was stunned that Trump would admit that in public thinking it would help him make the case for his presidency.“So basically, this is Xi Jinping saying, hey, let's not get into war. But the implication was decline, that the U.S. was in decline and Trump's response to that was so sad,” he exclaimed to agreement from the panel. “I mean, not just the fact that he's blaming Joe Biden, but let's read the first sentence of it where he says something like yesterday, when Xi Jinping, so elegantly, I have it here: ‘When President Xi very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation,’ that's all you need.”“It's like — that's just — it's an amazing thing to write,’ he elaborated. “It's a wonder — one of the more incredible Trump sentences ever. ... Because I can't ever say anything critical of Xi Jinping. Never does. Right?““You didn't have to to pin the tail on the donkey and say, the United States is the declining power for it to be very clear that in the optics and dynamics and on any metric that Trump understands, let alone the rest of the world: which of those two countries is the declining country? “ he added. “And Xi Jinping didn't need to say it directly. It's pretty clear to everyone where they stand in terms of relative power.” - YouTube youtu.be
May 15, 2026
Pentagon caught flat-footed as Hegseth makes 'abrupt' troop reversal
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth blindsided Pentagon officials and European allies by suddenly canceling a long-planned deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland — an abrupt reversal that has observers scratching their heads about what comes next. According to Politico, the surprise decision caught both sides of the Atlantic completely flat-footed as troops and equipment from Texas had already begun arriving in the country for the routine nine-month rotation when the order to halt the deployment came down.The report notes that no clear explanation has been provided for why Hegseth issued the cancellation order."We had no idea this was coming," said one U.S. official told Politico, adding that European and American officials have spent the last 24 hours on the phone trying to understand the decision and determine if additional surprises are coming.While the exact rationale remains unclear, President Trump has repeatedly expressed anger at European allies for their failure to support the Iran war — though he has labeled Poland a "model ally" for its high defense spending and NATO contributions.The cancellation is particularly alarming given that American troops stationed on the continent serve as a critical deterrent to Russian aggression. Trump has insisted that Europe must fend for itself militarily, and this latest order suggests the president is serious about reducing the American military footprint on the continent,' the report notes.Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, the former commander of U.S. Army forces in Europe, warned that the deployment cancellation undermines a key pillar of European defense."The Army's role in Europe is all about deterring the Russians, protecting America's strategic interests and assuring allies. And now a very important asset that was coming to be part of that deterrence is gone," Hodges told Politico's Paul McLeary and Jack Detsch.Hodges emphasized the particular sting for Poland, which has been among the most loyal Trump supporters in Europe. "The Poles certainly have never criticized President Trump, and they do all the things that good allies are supposed to do. And yet, this happens," he added.The decision has sent fresh waves of anxiety through European capitals about whether additional Trump administration moves could embolden Russia and which NATO ally might become the next target of a surprise military reversal.
May 15, 2026
'Tale of two readouts': White House statement curiously breaks from China's in taut summit
A White House statement about Trump's discussion with Chinese leader Xi Jinping curiously took on a different tone from what counterparts put out, reporters noticed.Politico correspondent Phelim Kine posted on X that the White House statement touted discussions of Chinese investment in the United States, fentanyl, the Strait of Hormuz, purchasing oil from the United States, and an agreement that Iran can't have a nuclear weapon."A Tale of Two Readouts: Here's what's in the WH readout of the Trump-Xi meeting but conspicuously absent in the Chinese readout: 1. Chinese investment into the U.S. 2. fentanyl 3. Hormuz 4. Chinese purchases of U.S. oil. 5. Agreement that Iran "can never have a nuclear weapon," Kine said.However, Kine found that any mention of these discussions was "conspicuously absent in the Chinese readout."Semafor journalist J.D. Capelouto wrote that it "exposed the sharp divides in their foreign policy postures," adding that "experts also noted that Beijing's briefing included a stark warning over Taiwan, which Washington's didn't mention."Michael Froman, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, also noticed the diverging readouts in a Thursday piece, and wrote that it showed how the summit is "unlikely to alter the character and course of the US-China relationship long-term."
May 15, 2026
Tense standoff breaks out during Trump's China visit as Secret Service refuses to disarm
Tensions flared during Trump's visit to Beijing on Thursday as Chinese officials tried to disarm one of his Secret Service agents outside an historic site, according to reports.The New York Post described the scene outside the Temple of Heaven, where "Chinese officials refused to admit a Secret Service agent accompanying the presidential press pool into the secure area because the agent was carrying a firearm."With a press pool around them, the agent refused to disarm, and the American delegation didn't want to leave one of their own behind, which led to "the Chinese version of a Mexican standoff," the Post wrote. "After a thirty-minute delay and many arguments, another Secret Service agent who had already been cleared to proceed was summoned to escort reporters inside while the first agent stayed behind."Fox News reporter Peter Doocy described it as a "very physical standoff." He also suggested it wasn't an isolated incident, adding that "there have been some heated and physical clashes between the Secret Service and the Chinese police at basically the backdoors of these events."
