The Morning Briefing: U.S. Sends Muscle to Middle East After Word Spreads of Possible Iran Attack

Good Monday morning.

Here is what’s on the president’s agenda today:

The president presents the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy to the U.S. Military Academy football team
President Trump receives his intelligence briefing
The president presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Tiger Woods

We are sending some muscle to the Middle East

The U.S. is sending “the USS Abraham Lincoln and a bomber task force” to the Middle East in response to “to ‘clear indications’ Iran and Iranian proxies were planning an attack on U.S. forces in the region,” a U.S. official said.

A statement from National Security Adviser John Bolton said the deployments were intended “to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force.”

“The United States is not seeking war with the Iranian regime, but we are fully prepared to respond to any attack, whether by proxy, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or regular Iranian forces,” the statement continued.

“It’s something we’ve been working on for a little while,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters traveling with him to Europe. “It is absolutely the case that we have seen escalatory actions from the Iranians, and it is equally the case that we will hold the Iranians accountable for attacks on American interests.”

USS Lincoln strike group deployed to send Iran ‘clear and unmistakable’ message, Bolton says

This is a great read. Iran’s Hand Behind the Latest Flare Up in Gaza, Israel

Israel, Iran-proxy Palestinians agree to a cease-fire…for now

After Palestinian terrorists fired hundreds of rockets into Israel over the weekend, a cease-fire was brokered. Here’s a description from the very biased and anti-Israel AP:

Palestinian medical officials reported 23 deaths, including at least nine militants as well as two pregnant women and two babies. Four Israelis also were killed from incoming fire, the first Israeli fatalities from rocket fire since the 50-day war in 2014.

Don’t fire rockets into Israel. So simple. AP says the Palestinians started firing on Israel “after Palestinian militants accused Israel of not honoring an earlier cease-fire deal from March.” What other country would tolerate 700 rockets fired on its civilians?

President Trump weighed in on the situation:

“Once again, Israel faces a barrage of deadly rocket attacks by terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad. We support Israel 100% in its defense of its citizens,” Trump tweeted.

“To the Gazan people — these terrorist acts against Israel will bring you nothing but more misery. END the violence and work towards peace – it can happen!”

Rep. Rashida Tlaib of the congressional Hamas caucus weighed in too:

When will the world stop dehumanizing our Palestinian people who just want to be free? Headlines like this & framing it in this way just feeds into the continued lack of responsibility on Israel who unjustly oppress & target Palestinian children and families. #FreePalestine https://t.co/p3X3j8WtwM

— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) May 5, 2019

“Our“? Ok. It seems like the Palestinians don’t value Palestinian lives since many of their rockets hit their own people. Let’s see how long that cease-fire lasts.

Another Anti-Semitic Trope: Rashida Tlaib Attempts To Spin Hamas’ Attack On Israel

Muslim American Society investigating ‘oversight’ that led to posting of ‘disturbing’ video

Trump doesn’t want Mueller to testify

President Trump tweeted out that Robert Mueller, who completed his witch hunt dossier last month, should not get to testify before Congress.

….to testify. Are they looking for a redo because they hated seeing the strong NO COLLUSION conclusion? There was no crime, except on the other side (incredibly not covered in the Report), and NO OBSTRUCTION. Bob Mueller should not testify. No redos for the Dems!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2019

Mueller has a tentative date to testify on May 15th before the House Judiciary Committee. Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee Senator Lindsay Graham also offered Mueller a chance to testify if he wanted, to “clear up” A.G. Barr’s testimony before the committee. The Democrats are agitating against Barr because he did not follow Mueller’s preferred report roll out. Boohoo. Why so much focus on Barr when their precious report is out? The Democrats are just looking to fight about something. Also, they are little nervous that Barr is investigating the origins of the witch hunt and that President Trump plans on declassifying some embarrassing documents used to begin the investigation into his 2016 campaign. Add to that, an IG report is scheduled to come out this month, so there is a whole lot of distraction goin’ on.

Liberals pounced on Trump’s tweet, making sure that Trump couldn’t stop Mueller from appearing.

I would like to see Mueller testify. Here are some questions Mueller should answer.

Cohen defends chicken stunt aimed at Barr, says it was planned night before

LOL. Pelosi: Trump needs to lose so decisively in 2020 that he won’t challenge the results

The Fright of James Comey

Trump says Mueller shouldn’t testify

This is a great interview. Nunes: Mueller report ‘cherry-picked’ information about mysterious Maltese Professor Mifsud

O’Rourke: Mueller report affirmed need for impeachment against Trump

Other morsels:

Our Lying Garbage Media Is Lying Garbage, But You Knew That

Guaidó, again, signals interest in U.S. intervention in Venezuela

Hero student who tackled North Carolina gunman remembered as ‘selfless’