#gerry baker

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Right-wing media bizarrely suggest Trump's war in Iran is actually ending a decades-long war, not starting one

In the days since President Donald Trump started a war with Iran, right-wing media have argued that Trump did not start a war with Iran, but

Reed McMaster at MMFA:

In the days since President Donald Trump started a war with Iran, right-wing media have argued that Trump did not start a war with Iran, but rather he is ending a “forever war.” Some have claimed the U.S. has “been at war” with Iran since the Iran hostage crisis of 1979, while others suggested that bombing Iran is an extension of Trump’s promise to bring peace because the conflict could create “peace in the region."

The Trump administration is struggling to sell their war with Iran

On February 28, Trump announced that the U.S. was conducting “major combat operations” in Iran. In a social media post announcing the strikes, President Trump accused Tehran of waging an “unending campaign of bloodshed and mass murder targeting the United States,” and cited the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. [CNN, 3/1/26; BBC, 3/3/26] 

Trump's decision to go to war with Iran is a direct violation of campaign promises he made in 2016 and 2024. As New York Times White House correspondent Peter Baker noted, Trump in 2016 “promised to stop racing to topple foreign regimes,” and in 2024 “boasted of starting ‘no new wars.’” Baker then added, “Mr. Trump is racing to topple foreign regimes, and is sending American sons and daughters to wage another war in the Middle East. The self-declared ‘president of PEACE’ has chosen to become the president of war.” [The New York Times, 2/28/26]

MAGA media has erupted into bitter infighting over the conflict, with notable figures like Tucker Carlson calling it “absolutely disgusting and evil.” [Media Matters, 3/2/26]

Americans are largely critical of the decision to enter war with Iran, with early polls showing nearly 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of taking military action in the country. As Axios notes, “If early polling is any indication, the White House's reasoning isn't resonating with Americans.” [Axios, 3/4/26]

Right-wing media pundits push the bizarre lie that Donald Trump’s war in Iran is “ending” war, not starting a new one.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

MAGA is furious over Trump's immigration apostasy

The president’s comments on H-1B visas were “a little hard to stomach,” said one Fox News host.

John Knefel for MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) (11.14.2025):

If there was one dominant message of Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, it was that his administration would engage in the largest mass-deportation program in recent U.S. history. Now Trump’s party is hurting from bruising election losses earlier this month, and the air of invincibility his administration claimed in its first 10 months is getting rather drafty. Rather than mitigate the current cost of living crisis, his policies have exacerbated it. And his promises of a new industrial and manufacturing renaissance in the United States remain unfulfilled. Under increasing pressure on both fronts, Trump recently retreated — albeit minimally — from the maximalist, anti-immigrant posture that has been his stock in trade since his first campaign.

But MAGA isn’t happy about Trump’s apostasy, and the ensuing backlash illustrates how he is increasingly unable to control his movement as tightly as he did during his second campaign and first months in office. For years, Trump has benefited from a symbiotic relationship with his hardcore supporters in right-wing media, allowing him to achieve narrative dominance that extends beyond conservative spaces. Now he’s showing signs of faltering; even Trump isn’t nativist enough for the top influencers on the right.

The current feud stems from Trump’s Tuesday interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, during which the president defended the H-1B visa program, which allows employers to sponsor foreign-born workers for some high-skilled jobs. To the MAGA faithful, Trump’s endorsement of some H-1Bs is akin to selling out all native-born workers to people they see as foreign-born replacements. “If you want to raise wages for American workers, you can’t flood the country with tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of foreign workers,” Ingraham said, referring to H-1B visa holders. “I agree, but you also have to bring this talent,” Trump responded. “We have plenty of talented people,” Ingraham parried. Trump replied, “No, you don’t.”

[...]

The reaction on the right is particularly notable given that Trump already added a substantial hurdle to the H-1B program, decreeing in September that employers would be forced to pay a $100,000 fee for new applicants entering the country. The pool of admitted applicants is also relatively small compared with the U.S. workforce writ large. The program caps the number of H-1B visas at 65,000 per year, with an additional 20,000 for professionals with graduate degrees (though some sectors receive exemptions). There are good-faith critiques of the H-1B program that take as a starting point that all workers, regardless of citizenship status, deserve dignity and safety on the job. But MAGA media sees foreign-born invaders taking American jobs — a position unsupported by the data, which suggests these workers stimulate economic activity and benefit native-born workers in the aggregate. The backlash to Trump suggests that on his signature issue — opposition to immigration — he has lost his grip on his base. The United States has a long history of nativism, and even Trump may not be able to control this latest spread. 

In an opinion column for MSNBC (now MS NOW), Media Matters for America’s senior researcher John Knefel dovetails why Donald Trump’s pro-H1-B visa comments towards Fox host Laura Ingraham have infuriated parts of the MAGA cult.

See Also:

MMFA: MAGA media figures are furious over Trump's immigration apostasy

[usanewstoday-blog]

Wall Street Journal Staffers Toast Rebecca Blumenstein Amid Newsroom Drama (Report)

Wall Street Journal Staffers Toast Rebecca Blumenstein Amid Newsroom Drama (Report)

Some of Wall Street Journal’s female staffers gathered at a New York City bar on Wednesday night following news that deputy editor Rebecca Blumenstein was leaving for rival New York Times. In the wake of the development, Journal’s editor in chief Gerry Baker will hold an in-house town hall next week to discuss tension within the newsroom, according to Politico. The Morning Media newsletter noted…

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[curmudgeonness]

Cosmo had a wish to marry Gerry and Jarvis had a wish to see Cosmo marry.  Cosmo invited Gerry over and after a private ceremonial exchanging of rings, Gerry’s now moved in as his partner.

[footballcardsstickers]

It’s Joe’s brother, Gerry Baker, here for Hibs, a club Joe Baker also played for. Gerry went on to become the USA’s first overseas major soccer star playing for the national side, thanks to being born in New York. He was playing in the English 1st Division (the Premiership nowadays) for teams like Manchester City and Ipswich Town, for whom he was a top goalscorer, then he moved to Coventry City and played for USA in 1968 and 1969 scoring goals for America, at the top level! Here he is on a gum card by A&BC Gum, issued in 1960, in Great Britain

[footballcardsstickers]

star of Hibernian (Hibs), Arsenal, Nottingham Forest & Torino, Joe Baker, here on a very rare Italian soccer sticker from 1961, by Lampo, and above top on a similarly rare card from Italy by Nannina.

[avanneman]

Wall Street Journal editor in chief “reminds” reporters to be fair to Trump (but not, presumably, Clinton or Sanders)

Over at Politico, Joe Pompeo writes that Wall Street Journal editor in chief Gerry Baker saw fit to “remind” his editors to be “fair” to Donald Trump. And indeed we should be fair to Donald. We shouldn’t forget that he rose to prominence by promising to build a “great wall” between the U.S. and Mexico and make Mexico pay for it, that he promised to ship 11 million innocent, hard-working people out of this country because their skin is the wrong color, that he promised to murder innocent women and children, that he promised to torture people because they look like the guys Jack Bauer tortured on 24 and that always worked, and, even if it doesn’t, so what, that’s what you get for looking like the guys Jack Bauer tortured on 24. Let’s be fair to Donald. Let’s be very, very fair.

[newsdock]

Tim Cook on Apple TV, Apple Watch, Apple’s car, security and more

Last night at WSJDLive, The Wall Street Journal’s global technology conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook took the stage to discuss everything from the yearly iPhone release cycle to the existence of an Apple car to Apple’s place in the world as a cultural force with the ability to have real influence. READ MORE: Hundreds of iOS apps in the Chinese market found to be stealing private user data It wasn’t an especially long discussion, but there were plenty of interesting tidbits worth highlighting. After asking Cook whether Apple wanted to control every part of our lives with its multitude of devices, WSJ editor Gerry Baker began the discussion in earnest with the Apple Watch. When questioned about specific sales figures regarding the wearable, http://dlvr.it/CVZ5bH