INTERNACIONAL
How Donald Trump tried to court the Atlantic – and why the liberal magazine landed an interview
Hell hath frozen over: At the White House the other day, Donald Trump «was launching a charm offensive, directed mainly at Goldberg,» as in Jeffrey Goldberg, the Atlantic’s editor-in-chief. «There was none of the name-calling or hostility he regularly levels at our magazine.»
That’s according to Atlantic reporters Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer, who wrote the magazine’s cover story, which was posted yesterday.
For all the insights gleaned from the interview, nothing is more fascinating than how it came about.
They called the president on his cell phone. (Wha? Who do I have to court to get that? The reporters ain’t saying.)
Trump says he did the initial phone interview to see if the liberal magazine could be fair.
PRESIDENT TRUMP TELLS THE ATLANTIC HE RUNS THE COUNTRY ‘AND THE WORLD’
So I’m here to pronounce that the entire, seemingly endless piece is fair. The president hasn’t taken a shot at it on Truth Social, at least so far.
He has, however, ripped new polls from the «Failing New York Times» and «ABC/Washington Post» as «FAKE POLLS FROM FAKE NEWS ORGANIZATIONS,» saying they should be «investigated for ELECTION FRAUD, and add in the Fox News Pollster while you’re at it.» His lowest approval rating, in the Post-ABC survey, was 39 percent.
Meanwhile, we may now look back on Trump’s 2024 victory as inevitable, but after Jan. 6 it was anything but. On the cell call, «The president seemed exhilarated by everything he had managed to do in the first two months of his second term.»
President Trump recently gave an interview to The Atlantic. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
And then came the transaction: «As ever, Trump was on the hunt for a deal. If he liked the story we wrote, he said, he might even speak with us again.»
Goldberg describes the session: «What I found in this particular meeting was a Trump who was low-key, attentive, and eager to convince us that he is good at his job and good for the country. It isn’t easy to escape the tractor beam of his charisma, but somehow we managed, and we asked him what needed to be asked.
«But squaring Trump the Charmer with the Orcish Trump we more frequently see is difficult…Trump posted on the social-media platform he owns that Ashley is a ‘Radical Left Lunatic’ (she is not) and that Michael ‘has never written a fair story about me, only negative, and virtually always LIES’ (also false). It is our task at the Atlantic not to be bullied by these sorts of attacks.»
STATE OF WAR: HOW TRUMP IS FIGHTING A 9-FRONT BATTLE
The most interesting Trump sound bite is his comparison of the two terms:
«The first time, I had two things to do—run the country and survive; I had all these crooked guys. And the second time, I run the country and the world.»
Parker and Scherer did many other interviews, such as with Steve Bannon. «Our reality is that we won,» and he cited the conspiracy theory that the FBI had incited the crowd on Jan. 6. The reporters said that was simply untrue.
«Now, here’s the interesting thing,» Bannon said. «Who’s won that argument? I think we have…
«This time it’s ‘Hey, f**k you, Greenland’s ours…When you’ve come back from such long odds, you clearly feel, ‘I can do anything.’ »
What about the four criminal investigations, including the conviction on the weakest one – Alvin Bragg’s hush money case? Trump says his numbers kept going up.
INTERVIEWING DONALD TRUMP: A LAST-MINUTE BLITZ AND NEW CLOSING MESSAGE
«Shockingly, yes,» Trump said. «Normally, it would knock you out. You wouldn’t even live for the next day. You know, you’d announce your resignation, and you’d go back and ‘fight for your name,’ like everybody says—you know, ‘fight for your name, go back to your family.’ …Yeah, it made me stronger, made me a lot stronger.»
He also said in the phone interview: «I got indicted five different times by five different scumbags, and they’re all looking for jobs now, so it’s one of those things. Who would have thought, right? It’s been pretty amazing.»
After the 2016 election, Trump told oil executives at Mar-a-Lago:
If I’m not president, you’re f***ed. Look at your profit-and-loss statements. You realize what would have happened to you if she was president? What’s wrong with you?») She was Kamala Harris, of course.
Referring to the criminal cases against him – including the charges brought forth by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Trump said «it made [him] stronger.» (Fulton County Sheriff’s Office via AP / Trump-Vance Transition Team)
One turning point: When he went to East Palestine, Ohio after the derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals, while Joe Biden didn’t do squat.
On the Kennedy Center: «I didn’t really get to go the first time, because I was always getting impeached or some bulls**t, and I could never enjoy a show.» So he fired the Democrats and made himself chairman.
All right, enough quotes. Wait, one more that captures the tone of the piece:
«I got 38 percent of the male Black vote. Nobody knew that was possible. That’s a lot. I got 56 percent of Hispanics. How about that one? Every county along the Texas border is Hispanic. I won every one of them.» Though every single number he cited was wrong, the general thrust of his observation was correct.»
The reporters chronicled how things have gone south for the president, especially on tariffs and the economy, and how he pressured Hill Republicans into backing his nominees with primary threats.
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After the March phone interview, the reporters tried Trump’s cellphone again. Just got voice mail. But at 1:38 am, he tried them back. No message.
Trump believes he can win over even his worst enemies. In 2015 or 2016, I watched him make a beeline in the New York green room for Karl Rove, who was very rough on him. At worst, he thinks, he can neutralize the person. Or soften him or her up for the next time. He enjoys the challenge.
The mainstream media almost uniformly can’t stand Donald Trump. He does invite some of his own negative headlines, while providing unprecedented access, but much of the press is back in Resistance mode.
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Still, the Atlantic’s original pitch is undeniable, that he’s «The Most Consequential President of the 21st Century.»
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American stealth bombers are expected to land at U.K. military bases within days to join the U.S.-Israel campaign against Iran, according to reports.
Citing unnamed senior Western officials, The Telegraph reported Wednesday that air bases at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire are being readied for the arrival of B-2 Spirit stealth bombers — the $2 billion strategic bomber is also known as the world’s most expensive aircraft.
The bombers are understood to be landing at the U.K. bases «in a matter of days» as Washington intensifies operations in the region, the outlet reported.
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, the U.S. military used stealth B-2 bombers to strike Iranian ballistic missile facilities Feb. 28 as part of the launch of Operation Epic Fury.
Diego Garcia is a strategic Indian Ocean base hosting 2,500 US military personnel. (Reuters)
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that B-2 stealth bombers, which were equipped with 2,000-pound bombs, struck Iranian «hardened» ballistic missile sites.
The U.S. was cleared to use British bases for limited strikes on Iran’s missile capabilities on Feb. 29 after Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed off on the plan, and while U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey stated Britain had «stepped up alongside the Americans.»
Starmer said the authorization was granted to protect U.K. and U.S. allies as the conflict escalated. He had previously said he would not allow American forces to use U.K. bases for offensive operations in the region.
Tensions have since been heightened in the U.K. by security incidents in Cyprus. RAF Akrotiri, a key British military base on the island, was struck by a suspected drone on March 2, causing minor damage.
IRAN’S DRONE SWARM ATTACKS UNLEASH ‘EXPONENTIAL COSTS’ ON US, PROLONGING WAR: ‘ASYMMETRIC CAPABILITY’
Several B-2 Spirit Stealth Bombers are seen on a runway at the Whiteman Air Force Base. (Whiteman Air Force Base)
The unmanned aircraft was reported to resemble an Iranian-made Shahed drone, similar to models used by Russia in Ukraine and by Tehran’s regional proxies.
The Ministry of Defense said force-protection measures were at the «highest level» and that the base had taken steps to defend personnel. About 4,000 service members and their families are based at RAF Akrotiri.
The U.S. State Department raised its travel advisory for Cyprus to Level 3, urging Americans to reconsider travel because of the threat of armed conflict and limited consular assistance in parts of the country.
Non-emergency embassy staff and family members were authorized to leave. Officials said the advisory change reflected adjustments in embassy operations rather than a direct change in underlying risk.
EX-CENTCOM CHIEF DETAILS ‘EXQUISITE INTELLIGENCE’ BEHIND IRAN STRIKES, SAYS NEXT STEPS HINGE ON ‘MISSILE MATH’
President Donald Trump blasted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer March 3, 2026, saying «this is not Winston Churchill we are dealing with,» amid a lack of support for the United States’ and Israel’s joint military operation against Iran. (Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images ; PA Images via Getty Images ; Jonathan Brady/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
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Trump had called Britain «uncooperative» and slammed Starmer as «not Winston Churchill» after Starmer initially rebuffed a U.S. request to use U.K. bases to attack Iran, according to The Associated Press.
Trump has also condemned Britain’s agreement to hand over the Chagos Islands, home to the Diego Garcia base, to Mauritius.
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INTERNACIONAL
Unearthed video shows Dem candidate supporting ‘reallocation’ of police funding to social service programs
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A Democrat running for Congress in one of the most competitive seats in the country once said she would combat systematic racism by redirecting law enforcement funding when asked if she would «defund the police» in 2020.
«I support the reallocation of funding to programs that would allow people to live their best lives,» JoAnna Mendoza, a Marine veteran, told the Arizona Clean Elections Commission and Arizona Capitol Times at a town hall event.
«Such as social service programs. Such as housing, public education, healthcare, ensuring that we are addressing economic stability and environmental safety.»
JoAnna Mendoza, a candidate for Congress, is running in one of the country’s most competitive races in 2026. (Joanna Mendoza for Congress/YouTube screenshot)
Mendoza, who is running to represent Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, denied ever supporting defunding the police, according to her campaign.
«Jo Mendoza has been on the record for years that police need MORE resources to do their jobs – not less – including body cameras and training. And she has repeatedly stated that she does not support defunding the police,» Mendoza’s campaign said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
«Any other assertion is categorically false, a lie and a political smear from D.C. hacks hoping to save Juan Ciscomani from an early retirement,» the campaign said, referring to the GOP incumbent Mendoza is running against.
Mendoza did not clarify what she had meant by the 2020 statement. However, her campaign pointed to other comments she made in 2020.
«I do not support defunding the police. Police officers are being asked to do too much. They’re being asked to address issues because of the lack of resources in our communities,» Mendoza said in another virtual event that year.
The Republican National Committee slammed Mendoza in a statement to Fox News Digital.
«There’s no way for JoAnna Mendoza to spin her extreme anti-police views, and Arizonans will know that she sides with dangerous criminals over them,» Nick Poche, a spokesperson for the RNC, told Fox News Digital.
The «defund the police» platform, which at the time was championed by several progressive Democrats, has aged poorly, leading Republicans and Democrats to view mere mentions of the phrase as a political liability in 2026.
The movement first burst onto the scene through the outrage after the death of George Floyd, a Black Minnesota resident who died after a police arrest in which an officer pinned him to the ground by placing a knee on his neck for an extended period.
His death sparked an uproar in cities across the country over racism in law enforcement and whether police in America could do more to avoid violence during arrests.
DEMOCRATS WORRY ‘ABOLISH ICE’ SLOGAN WILL BACKFIRE POLITICALLY LIKE ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ DID
Demonstrators carry a banner during an «I Can’t Breathe» Silent March For Justice in Minneapolis March 7, 2021. (Emilie Richardson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Although the outrage over Floyd eventually subsided, many of the calls to divert resources away from police persisted as a Democratic platform, leading some cities like Minneapolis and Austin, Texas, to reduce their police budgets.
However, the movement began to draw ire from Democrats who feared the party had taken a stance that could be considered at odds with community safety and worsen their odds at the ballot box.
Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., the House Majority Whip under U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in 2021, said the phrase was «cutting the throats of the party.»
«We keep making that mistake. This foolishness about you got to be this progressive or that progressive,» Clyburn said.
TENNESSEE CANDIDATE BLASTS DEM OPPONENT’S ‘UNACCEPTABLE’ TWEETS CALLING TO DISSOLVE NASHVILLE POLICE
Other Democratic strategists, such as James Carville, have also condemned the platform.
Carville called the slogan «the three stupidest words in the English language» in interviews in 2024 and went as far as suggesting the slogan could have led to the loss of Vice President Kamala Harris in her bid against Donald Trump.
«We could never wash off the stench of it,» Carville added.
TLAIB-BACKED SENATE CANDIDATE IN THE HOT SEAT AFTER DELETING ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
James Carville speaks onstage during Politicon at Music City Center in 2025. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Politicon)
Mendoza faces a tough race in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District. Ciscomani, the seat’s current incumbent, narrowly won election in 2024 in a 50%-47.5% victory over Democrat challenger Kirsten Engel.
The district is listed among the Cook Political Report’s most competitive races in 2026, earning one of the 18 seats with a «toss-up» designation.
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Poche believes Mendoza’s previous comments have just made her bid against Ciscomani harder.
«If the Democrats think a defund-the-police radical can beat him, they’re just plain stupid,» Poche said.
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El último conflicto en Oriente Medio es veloz, violento, extenso y profundamente complejo. Y con todos los acontecimientos que se mueven con rapidez, la escalada de los combates entre Estados Unidos e Israel por un lado, e Irán y sus aliados por el otro, puede ser difícil de entender, y mucho menos de visualizar.
Los ataques aéreos destruyen manzanas y recintos enteros. Los misiles cruzan las fronteras. Los drones descargan una destrucción letal. Como se observa en el mapa anterior, los ataques aéreos de ambos bandos han resonado en toda la región durante días.
Esta colección de elementos visuales de The Associated Press —mapas interactivos, imágenes satelitales, tomas deslizantes de antes y después— está diseñada para ofrecer una alternativa, o al menos un complemento, a las palabras que describen lo que está sucediendo.
En este espacio, mostraremos las formas en que se desarrolla la guerra, las personas involucradas en ella y el impacto que está teniendo: físico, político y visceral. Algunos mapas y otros elementos serán fijos y evolucionarán día a día. Otros serán sustituidos según lo justifiquen los acontecimientos. A la izquierda: el recinto del Líder Supremo de Irán, Ali Khamenei, antes de la mañana del 28 de febrero. A la derecha: el mismo lugar tras los ataques aéreos.
Ataque al complejo de Ali Jameini
Tocá para explorar el contenido
Esto es lo que los periodistas gráficos llaman un «deslizador»: arrastre las flechas del centro para ver el antes y el después completo; arquitectura antes, simples escombros después.
Khamenei y un número indeterminado de otros líderes iraníes murieron en el ataque, lo que efectivamente descabezó al gobierno teocrático en una medida aún desconocida. Las fotos muestran no solo la destrucción, sino la precisión milimétrica de la carga útil de los aviones en este ataque: mientras que el complejo en sí fue nivelado, muchos de los edificios a su alrededor permanecen visiblemente intactos.
Este «carrusel» gráfico muestra la lista de aspirantes que podrían sustituir a Khamenei como máximo líder espiritual de Irán.
Entre ellos: el expresidente Hassan Rouhani, quien alcanzó el histórico acuerdo nuclear con la administración Obama que Trump desechó; Mojtaba Khamenei, hijo del fallecido líder de alto rango. Aunque solo es un clérigo de nivel medio, se le considera ampliamente como un potencial sucesor de su padre, a pesar de que nunca ha ocupado un cargo político.
También figura en la lista un moderado relativo, Hassan Khomeini, poco conocido fuera de Irán y de sus círculos religiosos y políticos. Es nieto del ayatolá Ruhollah Khomeini, quien orquestó la revolución islámica de Irán en 1979 y gobernó como líder supremo durante una década antes de morir y ser sustituido por Khamenei.
Cada vez que ocurre algo en Oriente Medio, especialmente en el Golfo Pérsico, la cuestión del petróleo nunca está lejos de la conversación, particularmente cuando se trata de Irán.
Este gráfico muestra la volatilidad de los precios del petróleo en los días posteriores a los primeros ataques contra Irán antes de la madrugada del sábado. Los precios del petróleo suelen ser volátiles, pero los conflictos tienden a desequilibrarlos de formas más agudas y, mientras el conflicto continúe, bien podría ser el caso.
Nótese en particular los picos: el precio actual por barril de crudo estadounidense, que ya estaba en ascenso este año a medida que aumentaban las tensiones con Irán, superó los 70 dólares por barril en los días posteriores al ataque del sábado contra Irán. Fue el precio más alto del crudo estadounidense desde julio, cuando la guerra de 12 días entre Israel e Irán lo elevó temporalmente a casi 75 dólares por barril.
Un elemento clave en cualquier guerra relacionada con el Golfo Pérsico es la potencia y capacidad marítima. Este mapa muestra la ubicación aproximada de los destructores bajo el mando de Estados Unidos y la administración Trump.
Cuando Irán es atacado por Estados Unidos y sus aliados, contraataca regionalmente contra quienes albergan operaciones estadounidenses y aliadas.
Como muestra este mapa, una gran cantidad de naciones cercanas han sufrido ataques de Irán en los últimos días, incluidos Israel, Chipre, Irak, Kuwait, Bahréin, Qatar, Arabia Saudita y los Emiratos Árabes Unidos, incluido Dubái.
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