Conservative Blogger
Friday, March 13, 2026
Bessent: No Price Would Make Iran War Unaffordable
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said "absolutely not" when asked Thursday whether there was any price point at which he would tell President Donald Trump the war with Iran had become unaffordable. Bessent made the remark during a television interview as oil prices surged above $100 a barrel amid fears the widening conflict could disrupt shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow Persian Gulf waterway that normally carries roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply, according to reporting by Reuters and the Associated Press on the war's impact on global energy markets. Tanker traffic and shipping insurance in the region have been affected as attacks and security threats tied to the conflict raise risks for vessels moving through the Gulf, a situation energy analysts say could rattle global markets if the disruption spreads, according to coverage by Bloomberg and the Financial Times of the growing oil shock. Iran has vowed to continue the conflict despite the economic consequences, with Iranian leaders warning this week that prolonged fighting could damage the global economy by choking off energy supplies and trade routes, statements ABC News reported were carried by Iranian state television. Iranian officials have specifically warned that continued conflict could destabilize global energy markets by threatening shipping through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, according to reporting by the Associated Press on the statements from Tehran. Meanwhile, the financial cost of the war to the United States is already mounting rapidly, with Pentagon officials telling lawmakers during a congressional briefing this week that the first six days of the conflict cost at least $11.3 billion, Reuters reported Wednesday, citing officials familiar with the classified discussion. Reuters reported that the estimate largely reflects the cost of munitions and operational expenses during the opening phase of the campaign and may not yet include longer-term costs such as replenishing weapons stockpiles, sustaining deployments, or expanding military operations. Earlier estimates illustrated how quickly the spending mounted during the opening strikes, with the Center for Strategic and International Studies approximated the first 100 hours of operations cost roughly $3.7 billion, or about $891 million per day. Trump has downplayed concerns about the economic fallout, arguing that defeating Iran's leadership and nuclear ambitions outweighs temporary spikes in oil prices and other economic disruptions. Trump also said in a Truth Social post highlighted by ABC News that rising oil prices can benefit the United States because the country is the world's largest oil producer. He also warned that Iran may attempt to weaponize energy markets after suffering military setbacks, telling Fox Business the regime is trying to create "economic chaos" by threatening shipping routes and energy infrastructure. Bessent said the administration is exploring measures to stabilize global oil flows, including potentially allowing additional Russian crude to reach global markets in order to increase supply and ease price pressures, remarks that Mediaite reported during coverage of the Fox Business interview. He also said the United States is supporting efforts to restore shipping confidence in the Persian Gulf, including backing a maritime insurance program for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz after insurers pulled coverage because of the conflict, according to Fox Business reporting on the interview. Bessent added that the United States and its allies are also examining potential naval escorts for commercial tankers traveling through the strait to ensure oil shipments continue moving through the critical corridor, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal on the administration’s response to the disruptions. Several lawmakers and policy analysts have raised concerns about the rapidly rising cost of the conflict. Rep. Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania,
the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, said lawmakers need a full accounting of the war's cost and asked the Congressional Budget Office to analyze the financial and economic impact of the conflict, according to reporting by Al Jazeera on congressional reaction to the spending estimates. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., criticized the spending tied to the conflict and said the administration was committing billions of dollars to military operations while many Americans remain under financial pressure from high living costs, Al Jazeera reported. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., RINO
also warned that prolonged fighting combined with oil prices above $100 per barrel could produce serious economic and political consequences if the war drags on, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal on congressional reaction to the conflict. Budget analysts have also warned that the current spending estimates may significantly understate the ultimate price of the war because they do not fully include the cost of replacing precision weapons and missile interceptors or sustaining a prolonged military campaign, a concern highlighted in coverage of the conflict's costs by The Guardian. © 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved. |
Hegseth Hatred Leaves Democrat Politicians and Media With Egg on Their Faces As Well As Steak and Lobster
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On Monday, a most unusual attack was launched against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Attacks on Hegseth are pretty much par for the course as he's easily the member of President Trump's cabinet most hated by the left and the mainstream media. This one was unusual not only for its superficiality, but also for the ease with which it was debunked and the number of Democrat politicians and media outlets who let their hatred of a man and an administration prevent them from ever questioning the story. First off, if you've been in the military or federal government, you know what the procurement environment is like in September. It is the last month of the fiscal year. It is the witching hour for current fiscal year appropriations. This is when money is reprogrammed from accounts that can't spend it to those who can. Every cent has to be spent by September 30, or it is lost. Worse than lost, someone up the food chain may cut your budget since you didn't spend everything, thereby proving you were overfunded. Without tight management, it can devolve into a spending bacchanalia. Even with tight management, it would cause Ron Paul to stroke out. For some reason, The New Republic, which has degenerated from an outlet that sane people might read into a Tumblr for TDS sufferers, chose this week to cover Pentagon spending in September and was apparently unaware of the context and unwilling to ask for explanations. Some of the
frivolous September purchases made under Secretary Pete Hegseth’s
stewardship include a $98,329 Steinway & Sons grand piano for the
Air Force chief of staff’s home, $5.3 million for Apple devices such as
the new iPad, and an astronomical amount of shellfish, including $2
million for Alaskan king crab and $6.9 million worth of lobster tail.
(Lobster tail is apparently a favorite of Hegseth’s Pentagon—the
department spent more than $7.4 million total on the luxury item in
March, May, June, and October.)
The result was sad and hilarious. Sad that so many profoundly stupid people pretend to influence and govern us, and hilarious because laughing at self-unaware imbeciles is always fun. The mother lode of stupid comes from Paul Begala, one of the Clinton mafiosi and alleged strategist. He was on CNN's "The Source With Kaitlan Collins" Wednesday night, where he claimed that Hegseth, personally, ate the $6.9 million in lobster tail.
Here is the monumentally unfunny comedian Seth Meyers. Why does the left have to try to gaslight us into believing their comedians are funny? Don't they have real ones?
This man helps select federal judges and U.S. Attorneys.
And she's responsible for...for...well, for something that nepo-elected senators do, not really sure what that is, but it has to be important, amirite? Leftist media also piled on.
There was a clue built into The New Republic story that indicated some of this might not be as frivolous as alleged had someone with an IQ on the right side of the Bell Curve written it: "(Lobster tail is apparently a favorite of Hegseth’s Pentagon—the department spent more than $7.4 million total on the luxury item in March, May, June, and October.)" Why, one might ask, is the Pentagon dropping $7 million per month on "surf and turf?" As it turned out, the grand piano was allocated to the Air Force band. We can debate that, but portraying it as adorning the Air Force Chief of Staff's living room was dishonest.
The answer to the steak-and-lobster scandal was rather mundane. It was for military dining facilities, in particular those deployed in war zones, or for ships and units whose deployments had just been extended as a sort of consolation prize.
What was saddest about this bizarre, though increasingly commonplace episode was the veterans who deliberately lied about what the expense entailed for the sole purpose of damaging the reputation of a much better man. Men so utterly degraded by their political stances that they have totally lost any vestigial sense of honor they once had. Even though Adam Kinzinger never got closer to combat than shooting some reporter (Watch: Senate Candidate Steps on One Last Rake, Justifying Wounding a Reporter – RedState), there is no doubt he experienced steak-and-lobster nights departing on or returning from deployments.
And there is Colorado Democrat Jason Crowe, a person (I won't use the term "man") with several combat deployments who participated in these meals and is now pretending it is a scandal.
This retired colonel sums up Crowe the best.
If you're not familiar with the term Blue Falcon, never say I wasn't generous with my time. The minions of the left are after Hegseth because he not only has stopped their "long march through the institutions" at the Pentagon, he is actively uprooting what they planted and sowing salt into the earth. But if this is the best they can do, he has nothing to worry about. |
President Trump Issues Chilling Warning to ‘Deranged Scumbags’ in Iran Today, Says US Winning the War
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President Trump unleashed a blistering broadside against Iran's leadership early Friday morning, declaring on Truth Social that the United States is "totally destroying" the terrorist regime. Whether it be militarily, economically, or in every facet of the ongoing military operations, Iran is suffering the wrath of the American military. "We are totally destroying the terrorist regime of Iran, militarily, economically, and otherwise, yet, if you read the Failing New York Times, you would incorrectly think that we are not winning," the President wrote. "Iran’s Navy is gone, their Air Force is no longer, missiles, drones, and everything else are being decimated, and their leaders have been wiped from the face of the earth." Trump is referring to recent
New York Times coverage of Operation Epic Fury that he views as
downplaying American military successes. The President also issued a stark, personal warning to the regime. "We have unparalleled firepower, unlimited ammunition, and plenty of time - Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today," he threatened. "They’ve been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years, and now I, as the 47th President of the United States of America, am killing them. What a great honor it is to do so!" READ MORE: Tragic Loss: CENTCOM Confirms Four American Heroes Killed in Iraq Non-Combat Crash Have Iran's Mullahs Cut and Run for a Safer Locale Than Tehran? It's unclear if the President is referring to a continued bombardment of Iran or if he's signaling an escalation will be seen across the rogue nation on Friday. Regardless, this is an effective framing of Operation Epic Fury as a long-overdue reckoning for 47 years of bloodshed against innocents worldwide. The President, during an interview on Fox News radio, also addressed rumors that Iran's current "Supreme Leader," Mojtaba Khamenei, is dead. The son of the recently deceased Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not been seen in public since being named to his new role, and issued a statement that was read on Iranian state TV on his behalf. “I think he probably is (alive)," Trump said. "I think he is damaged, but I think he’s probably alive in some form, you know.” Trump said the new Supreme Leader is doing "a lot of talking," but he's "going to have to put up." The Sun is reporting that Khamenei has been critically wounded, to the extent that he may be missing limbs and in a coma. The New York Post reports milder injuries, including a "fractured foot (and) face injuries," that he suffered on the first day of military strikes. While none of these have been confirmed, Trump's assessment that he is "damaged" but "probably alive" suggests he knows something. And when the President knows something, the "deranged scumbags" might want to scatter. Keep your head on a swivel, Mojtaba. Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all. |
This CNN Reporter's Tweet About Trump, Polling, and Iran Is Laughably Predictable
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| Aaron Blake on CNN Oh, they’re so close—they’re always so close. Polling Donald Trump is nearly impossible. It’s never been accurate. It was wrong in 2016, 2020, and 2024. The weekly approval ratings are always underestimating the real figure. Also, when your oversampling Democrats, which is always the case among mainstream outlets, the accuracy becomes even more unpredictable. Take the Washington Post, whose polling on the war saw a drastic change from last week [emphasis mine]:
Aaron Blake, now with CNN, hit it on the head, though he doesn’t say it: Democrats are simply not serious people.
Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all. |
Huh? Dems Are Going to Try and Hurt Trump Over This?
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I don’t want to hear it. They complain about everything, especially when Trump is involved. Operation Epic Fury is not some nation-building exercise, so can we please stop the panic over gas prices? The Trump administration is monitoring the situation, easing some oil-based sanctions, and offering escorts for oil tankers to safely navigate the Strait of Hormuz. Some price spikes might occur, but that’s what happens, especially with these operations. This war is one of self-defense. But leave it to Democrats to try to tear down our commander-in-chief, as they’ve always done when a Republican must use the military (via The Hill):
In interviews, statements and in a flurry of social media posts, Democrats have sharpened their arguments — repeatedly linking Trump’s decision to enter the Iran conflict to the price spikes, while accusing Republicans of downplaying their impact.
So, please spare us and stop acting like things would be better with you people in charge. You’d allow Tehran to get a nuclear weapon. They would have it by now if Democrats were still in the Oval. Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all. |
UFC and FBI announce training partnership at Quantico Academy
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| (L-top) FBI Director Kash Patel. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) /
(L-bottom) UFC president Dana White on June 27, 2025. (Photo by Steve
Marcus/Getty Images) / (R) President Trump attends the Ultimate Fighting
Championship (UFC) event on March 9, 2024. In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, the UFC and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officially announced on Wednesday a partnership to host an exclusive training seminar for special agents. The two-day event, scheduled for March 14th and 15th, 2026, will reportedly bring elite mixed martial arts (MMA) athletes to the FBI Special Agent Academy to share high-level defensive tactics and conditioning insights with both academy students and senior staff. The initiative is designed to provide agents with “innovative training options” as they prepare for the physical rigors of field assignments. UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard and a hand-picked “all-star” crew of fighters will lead the sessions. Instructor Lineup
The seminar features a roster of some of the most recognizable names in combat sports history.
Defensive Techniques This module focuses on functional combat agility rather than static drills. Agents are being trained in “Close Quarters Combat” (CQC) by grappling specialists like Chris Weidman and Renzo Gracie. The emphasis is on “clinch work” and “takedown defense,” using the “cage-work” principles of the Octagon to help agents control suspects against walls or in confined spaces. Regarding high-efficiency striking, Michael Chandler and Jorge Masvidal will demonstrate how to use “dirty boxing” and short-range strikes to create space or neutralize a threat when a weapon cannot be immediately deployed. It will also train agents transitioning from traditional law enforcement “pain compliance” to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) techniques that provide total skeletal control over an opponent. Mental Preparation The “mindset” portion of the seminar will be led by UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard and veteran fighters to bridge the gap between sports psychology and field survival. Agents will be trained to maintain fine motor skills while under the extreme “red-zone” heart rates experienced during a championship fight. Justin Gaethje, known for his “calm in the chaos” style, will also provide insight into reading an opponent’s micro-movements to anticipate aggression before it happens. To learn “elite resilience,” they will be Instructed on the “championship mindset” — recovering from a physical or psychological blow instantly to stay in the fight. Physical Conditioning The FBI is looking to “revamp” its current fitness standards by adopting the UFC Performance Institute’s (PI) data-driven approach. They will move away from standard distance running and push-ups toward High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) that mimics the 5-minute bursts of an MMA round. Claudia Gadelha will demonstrate MMA-specific stretching and recovery protocols designed to keep agents physically “operational” for longer careers, reducing the wear and tear of tactical gear. Regarding combat-specific endurance, agents will learn drills that prioritize “explosive” movements (bursts of speed/power) over steady-state cardio, which is more applicable to short, violent encounters.
The partnership marks a significant cultural shift for the Bureau under Director Kash Patel, who has prioritized a more modern, “fitness-forward” persona for the agency. Patel, a longtime UFC enthusiast, emphasized that the seminar is part of a broader push to ensure agents are “even better prepared to protect the American people.”
Meanwhile, the collaboration is the latest sign of the deepening relationship between the UFC and the Trump administration. It serves as a precursor to the highly anticipated “Freedom Fights 250” event, a UFC cage match scheduled to take place on the White House South Lawn on June 14th to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary. While some critics have questioned the applicability of sport-fighting to law enforcement lethal-force scenarios, the FBI maintains that the seminar offers a unique perspective for cadets who are about to enter field offices across the globe. |
UFC Freedom 250: White House Showdown Defies Elite Narratives
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The UFC’s much-talked-about Freedom 250 is now set for the South Lawn of the White House on June 14, 2026, a bold and unapologetically patriotic staging of sport that celebrates America’s 250th. This isn’t your usual corporate arena spectacle; it’s a gathering on the most iconic lawn in the land, and fans should expect a night that mixes raw competition with real national pride. In one of the most intriguing matchups, bantamweight stalwart Aiemann Zahabi will face the flash and nickname of the division, Sean O’Malley,
a bout that promises to be a contrast between grinders and showmen. Zahabi has publicly embraced the assignment, calling it a massive opportunity and a title-eliminator that could launch him higher up the ladder, remarks he made after being tapped for the card. Oddsmakers may favor the flashy American star on paper, but that only makes Zahabi’s quiet confidence more compelling for patriotic fans tired of narratives handed down by the coastal elites. DraftKings opened O’Malley as the betting favorite, which should only motivate the underdog and every working-class fan who loves an upset. This White House card is
branded UFC Freedom 250 for a reason — it’s tied to the nation’s 250th
anniversary and puts American tradition front and center at a time when
we need reminders of strength and resilience. Rather than sneer at
toughness, conservatives should celebrate an event that brings the
fighting spirit of ordinary men and women to the heart of government and
the people’s house. Zahabi’s recent run — a streak of wins that has earned him a top contender spot — is exactly the kind of grit the country respects: hard work, steady improvement, and results when it matters. O’Malley is a talented former champion with flair, but this matchup favors no one until the bell rings, and that uncertainty is the essence of sport and the sort of meritocracy America still honors. Come June 14, Americans will get more than an evening of fists and footwork; they’ll see a celebration of competition, a pushback against sour elites who mock patriotism, and a reminder that courage and confidence still win respect. Tune in, cheer for the underdog if you love grit, and take pride that the nation’s anniversary will be marked by true American toughness on the White House lawn. |
Fetterman Breaks Ranks: A Wake-Up Call for American National Security
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Senator John Fetterman’s recent break with the Democratic establishment is the kind of wake-up call America’s national security debate desperately needed. After U.S.-Israeli strikes that intelligence officials say killed Iran’s supreme leader, Tehran moved quickly to anoint Mojtaba Khamenei as his successor — a choice that has roiled capitals and put pressure on every elected official to pick a side. Fetterman didn’t couch his stance in partisan euphemisms; speaking on national television he said he supported the strikes and called the action “entirely appropriate,” rejecting his party’s reflexive opposition to anything connected to President Trump. That bluntness from a high-profile Democrat is rare, and it exposes how detached many in the party have become from basic priorities like American safety and deterrence. Meanwhile, reports that President Trump would back an allied operation to remove Iran’s newly installed supreme leader if Tehran refuses to cooperate have sent the regime into further panic and the media into predictable hysteria. Multiple outlets have relayed that the administration is prepared to back strong allied measures to compel Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions — a posture that, whether you call it pressure or leverage, is exactly what deterrence looks like. Not surprisingly, the Democratic caucus has
fractured, with some members demanding congressional war-powers checks
while others quietly acknowledge the necessity of decisive action
against a regime that has menaced America and our allies for decades.
This split proves the argument conservatives have been making for years:
foreign policy driven by ideology and performative virtue signaling
puts Americans at risk, and it’s past time politicians prioritize
security over optics. Patriots should applaud any public servant willing to put country above party, and Fetterman’s courage to buck his tribe should be a model for others. We need more leaders who understand that showing strength — and backing our allies — is the language of peace, not cowardice disguised as diplomacy. Voters must remember who stood with America when the chips were down and who defaulted to partisan reflex. Come election time, the men and women who defended our safety — not those who played politics with it — deserve our support and our vote. |
Thursday, March 12, 2026
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