News

U.S. Political News Today: Trump Defends Iran War as Congress Moves on Russia Sanctions

WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2026 — President Donald Trump said he would again choose to enter the war with Iran despite its human, economic and political costs, offering his most direct defense of the seven-month conflict as Americans observed the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Congress moved closer to considering sweeping new sanctions against Russia, while the Trump administration rejected Saudi Arabia’s request for direct American strikes against Houthi forces advancing near a critical Red Sea shipping route.

At home, a federal court overturned the administration’s effort to keep an aging Michigan coal plant operating. Trump- and Elon Musk-aligned political groups also began spending tens of millions of dollars in battleground races following a Republican convention that left some party members questioning whether a Trump-centered strategy can win the midterms.

Trump says he does not regret entering the Iran war

Trump said in a Fox News interview broadcast Friday that he had no regrets about launching military operations against Iran and would make the same decision again.

The United States and Israel began their coordinated campaign Feb. 28. Iran subsequently retaliated against American forces, Israel and several Gulf countries.

Trump said the operation was necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Iran maintains that its uranium-enrichment program has peaceful purposes and says it does not possess a nuclear weapon.

Those competing assertions do not establish the current condition of every Iranian nuclear facility. International inspectors have been unable to verify independently the status of all sites damaged or placed beyond their access during the conflict.

The president rejected suggestions that the war had demoralized his supporters. He said voters were proud of his handling of Iran despite rising gasoline prices and growing concern among Republican candidates.

Trump again predicted that the fighting would end shortly after the Nov. 3 midterm elections. He has alleged that Iran is extending the conflict to damage Republicans and obtain a more favorable American government.

The president has not released evidence proving that Tehran’s military decisions are timed around the U.S. election. His statement should be understood as his assessment of Iran’s political strategy.

The conflict has killed thousands of people and displaced millions across the region, according to figures cited by Reuters. Eighteen American service members had been reported killed as of last week.

Oil prices have exceeded $100 per barrel as fighting disrupts tanker traffic around the Strait of Hormuz and threatens shipping near the Red Sea. Higher crude prices have driven up gasoline, diesel and transportation costs inside the United States.

Trump’s defense of the war makes it increasingly difficult for Republican candidates to distance themselves from its consequences. The president is asking voters to treat the midterms as a referendum on his leadership while accepting responsibility for a decision contributing to higher household costs. (Reuters)

Trump declines Saudi request for direct strikes against Houthis

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked Trump to authorize American attacks on Houthi forces advancing along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, according to sources briefed on conversations between the leaders.

Trump declined to order direct strikes. The United States instead offered intelligence sharing and targeting assistance.

The administration has not publicly released complete transcripts of the reported discussions. Accounts of the Saudi request are based on information provided to Reuters by people familiar with the calls.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have captured additional coastal territory and the island of Perim, near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The waterway connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is a major route for international shipping.

The Houthis have threatened Saudi oil exports and announced what they describe as a naval blockade. Whether the organization possesses the capacity to enforce a sustained blockade remains uncertain.

Saudi Arabia previously said it could manage the Houthi threat without wider American military intervention. Its reported request for help suggests that recent territorial advances have changed Riyadh’s assessment.

Trump’s refusal may reflect concern about widening the Iran war into another direct American campaign in Yemen. A new bombing operation could threaten U.S. personnel and further destabilize oil and shipping markets.

However, providing targeting intelligence still constitutes meaningful support for Saudi military activity. It could expose Washington to greater political responsibility if Saudi strikes cause civilian casualties or escalate the conflict.

U.S. Central Command leader Adm. Brad Cooper visited Saudi Arabia for consultations as the security situation deteriorated.

The decision demonstrates that Trump is drawing at least one limit around American involvement. Whether that restraint continues may depend on Houthi attacks, the safety of U.S. vessels and the effect on global energy supplies. (Reuters)

House prepares to consider sweeping Russia-sanctions legislation

The House is preparing to take up a Russia-sanctions bill that passed the Senate 86-11 and was championed by the late Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham.

The legislation would impose additional sanctions on Russian officials and authorize tariffs of as much as 100% on countries purchasing large quantities of Russian energy.

China and India would be among the countries potentially affected because both have continued buying Russian oil during the war in Ukraine.

Trump has indicated that he supports the bill. The House Rules Committee is scheduled to meet Monday to prepare it for consideration by the full chamber.

Supporters argue that the legislation would reduce the energy revenue financing Russia’s invasion and give President Vladimir Putin a stronger incentive to negotiate.

Critics from both parties are concerned that the measure gives Trump substantial discretion over when tariffs are imposed or waived. Broad tariffs on countries purchasing Russian energy could also increase costs for American importers and consumers.

Sanctions do not operate in isolation. If they remove Russian oil from the world market without sufficient replacement supplies, global prices could rise—an especially important risk while the Iran conflict is already disrupting energy shipments.

The bill’s strong Senate vote demonstrates bipartisan support for increasing pressure on Moscow. It does not guarantee quick House passage, and the legislation would not become law until the House approves identical language and Trump signs it.

American envoys recently visited Moscow and Kyiv in an effort to restart negotiations. No ceasefire or formal negotiating schedule emerged from those meetings. (Reuters)

Court overturns order keeping Michigan coal plant open

A federal appeals court invalidated a Trump administration order that required the J.H. Campbell coal-fired power plant in Michigan to remain open beyond its planned retirement.

The unanimous D.C. Circuit panel concluded that the Department of Energy exceeded its authority under an emergency provision of the Federal Power Act.

The administration said the plant was needed to meet rising electricity demand, including demand from rapidly expanding artificial-intelligence data centers.

Michigan officials argued that no genuine emergency justified forcing the plant to continue operating. They said ratepayers could bear approximately $295 million in additional costs.

The court’s ruling addressed whether the Department of Energy possessed the legal authority it claimed. It did not establish that coal plants are never needed for electrical reliability or that future emergency orders would automatically be invalid.

Consumers Energy, the plant’s operator, had planned to close the facility in 2025. The company said it was reviewing the ruling.

A temporary Energy Department order may keep the plant operating until mid-November while officials determine their next step.

Environmental organizations welcomed the decision, arguing that supporting uneconomical coal generation increases pollution and consumer expenses. The administration contends that premature plant closures threaten grid reliability.

The dispute reflects the collision between two Trump priorities: preserving coal-fired generation and rapidly building AI infrastructure. Data centers require substantial, continuous electricity, but compelling consumers to finance aging plants can make that growth more expensive.

The ruling could also affect the administration’s efforts to delay the retirement of other coal facilities around the country. (Reuters)

Trump and Musk groups pour money into battleground races

Political groups aligned with Trump and Musk are dramatically increasing their spending in competitive House and Senate elections.

No Going Back PAC, a recently formed group connected to Trump’s political operation, has reserved more than $74 million in television advertisements, according to Reuters.

The spending targets races in Michigan, Georgia, Ohio, North Carolina and other battlegrounds. Approximately $15.7 million has been directed toward Michigan, where Republicans are campaigning against Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed.

MAGA Inc. and Musk’s America PAC have spent a combined $12.6 million supporting Republican Texas Senate nominee Ken Paxton against Democrat James Talarico.

Musk’s organization has spent an additional $7 million on voter outreach in multiple states.

Super PACs may raise and spend unlimited amounts of money but cannot legally coordinate their expenditures with candidates or political parties. Shared political goals or support for the same candidate do not, by themselves, prove unlawful coordination.

No Going Back registered Sept. 1 and will not be required to disclose its donors until late October. Voters may therefore begin seeing its advertisements weeks before learning who financed them.

The organization shares personnel and resources with MAGA Inc. Its use of a separate name may help advertisements reach voters who react negatively to explicit MAGA branding, although that interpretation concerns political strategy rather than a publicly stated legal purpose.

The spending indicates that Republican strategists view Texas and several traditionally competitive states as vulnerable. It also begins fulfilling Trump’s promise to direct between $400 million and $500 million toward the midterms.

Advertising can shape voter perceptions, but it cannot guarantee turnout or overcome dissatisfaction with prices and foreign policy. (Reuters)

Republican convention closes with questions about Trump-centered strategy

Trump concluded the Republican midterm convention by urging supporters to vote as though his own name appeared on the ballot.

The president asked attendees to swear that they would participate in November. His approach seeks to recreate the turnout he generated during his presidential campaigns.

Several Republican loyalists interviewed by Reuters questioned whether the strategy could attract independent voters. Competitive-state candidates also largely avoided the Dallas convention.

Trump remains the party’s dominant political figure and most powerful fundraiser. His low approval rating, however, creates the possibility that making the election entirely about him could also motivate Democratic voters.

The convention placed greater emphasis on immigration, crime and attacks on Democrats than on grocery, housing and fuel costs. Trump characterized affordability concerns as exaggerated by his opponents even as polls identify the cost of living as a leading voter concern.

Trump and other speakers also made several inaccurate or misleading claims, according to an Associated Press review.

Among them, Trump repeated the false claim that he won the presidency three times. Election results, recounts, audits and court decisions established that Joe Biden won the 2020 election.

Vice President JD Vance overstated the number of newly created jobs obtained by U.S. citizens, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s statement that more Americans were working than ever omitted the context of population growth. Trump cited $20 trillion in foreign investment without publicly available evidence supporting that total.

Distinguishing those claims from verifiable policy results is particularly important because the convention was designed to persuade voters, not provide an independent assessment of the administration.

The event also elevated Vance as a potential 2028 presidential candidate. Delegates discussed Marco Rubio, Ron DeSantis and Ted Cruz as possible successors, but Trump did not endorse a future nominee. (Reuters convention analysis, Reuters on GOP concerns, Associated Press fact check)

Nation observes 25 years since the Sept. 11 attacks

Trump and first lady Melania Trump attended a commemoration at the Pentagon on Friday as the country marked 25 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Nearly 3,000 people were killed at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and aboard United Airlines Flight 93.

Trump’s Patriot Day proclamation directed federal facilities to fly American flags at half-staff. It also honored first responders and members of the military who served during the wars that followed the attacks.

Thousands of survivors, firefighters, police officers, recovery workers and residents continue to experience illnesses associated with exposure to toxic material at Ground Zero.

The commemoration took place as the United States was again involved in a major Middle Eastern conflict. The Iran war is distinct from the military campaigns launched after Sept. 11, but the anniversary renews questions about congressional war powers, the duration of overseas interventions and the long-term obligations owed to veterans.

Ceremonies were also held in New York and at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania. (White House Patriot Day proclamation)

Foreign wars and domestic costs shape the midterm debate

Friday’s developments showed how thoroughly foreign policy has become connected to domestic politics.

Trump is defending the Iran war while limiting further U.S. military involvement against the Houthis. Congress is simultaneously considering sanctions that could place additional pressure on Russia but also increase global energy costs.

At home, the administration’s effort to preserve coal generation encountered a judicial limit, while Trump- and Musk-backed groups began using their financial advantages to define competitive elections.

Republicans want November to become a referendum on immigration, national strength and Trump’s leadership. Democrats want voters to focus on fuel prices, household expenses and the costs of executive decisions.

Trump’s request that supporters behave as though he is on the ballot ensures that victories and defeats will be interpreted as judgments on his presidency—even though control of Congress will be decided through hundreds of individual state and district races.

More Politics: https://natalkradio.us/category/politics/

North American Talk Radio may earn a commission if you make a purchase through links in this article, at no additional cost to you.