Saudi Arabia Reportedly Forced Trump to Abort Hormuz Escalation ("Project Freedom")
The Morning Sixpack - 05/07/2026: Trump’s Hormuz retreat (TACO), Epstein fallout, Roberts defends SCOTUS, Iran hits U.S. bases, MAGA influencer cash claims #MorningSixpack
Trump’s Hormuz Retreat Hit a Saudi Wall—and Tehran Noticed
Turns out “Project Freedom” ran into a very inconvenient detail: Saudi Arabia reportedly wouldn’t let U.S. warplanes use its airspace.
Trump reportedly halted the U.S. naval mission in the Strait of Hormuz after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman refused to allow American aircraft tied to the operation to fly through Saudi airspace, according to NBC News. Gulf states were reportedly blindsided by the announcement of “Project Freedom,” which was supposed to escort trapped ships through the Iranian blockade.
The administration then pivoted hard into diplomacy, with Trump claiming there had been “great progress” in Pakistani-mediated talks with Iran. Meanwhile, Axios reported the White House is now chasing a one-page memorandum of understanding that would freeze Iranian enrichment, move uranium stockpiles out of the country, and ease sanctions in exchange for calmer waters in Hormuz. In other words: From carrier strike pressure to speed-dialing negotiators in about 72 hours.
Iran’s leadership wasted no time mocking the reversal. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf posted on X: “Operation Trust Me Bro failed. Now back to routine with Operation Fauxios.” Not exactly the response Team Trump was hoping for after flexing military muscle in the Gulf.
The backdrop here matters. Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has choked roughly 20% of global oil shipments, sending energy markets into panic mode. But Saudi Arabia—despite reportedly pushing for tougher action against Iran earlier in the conflict—apparently drew the line at directly facilitating a potentially explosive U.S. escalation from its own airspace. That’s a pretty loud signal from America’s most important Arab partner in the region.
Source: Times of Israel report
Editor: Nothing says “carefully coordinated regional strategy” quite like allies finding out about your military operation at the same time cable news viewers do. And make NO MISTAKE: Saudi Arabia wants the Strait open.
The real problem for Lutnick isn’t the old photos or even the island visit—it’s that the timeline keeps changing every time someone finds another receipt.
Howard Lutnick’s Epstein Story Keeps Getting Worse—and Congress Is Finally Noticing
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick spent four hours on Capitol Hill trying to explain away his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, and lawmakers from both parties came away saying the answers didn’t add up. #PedoFiles
Lutnick has long claimed he cut ties with Epstein in 2005. But newly discussed DOJ records reportedly show the two men remained in contact years later, including after Epstein’s guilty plea involving an underage girl. Lutnick also admitted earlier this year that he, his family, and their nannies visited Epstein’s private island in 2012. That little detail tends to complicate the whole “I severed ties” narrative.
The closed-door House Oversight interview reportedly turned ugly fast. Rep. Ro Khanna said, “If Donald Trump had seen the video transcript, he would have fired Howard Lutnick.” Khanna accused Lutnick of “contortions and lies,” while Arizona Democrat Yassamin Ansari called him “a pathological liar who is enabling the most egregious cover-up in American history.”
Republicans, meanwhile, circled the wagons, with Chairman James Comer warning that if Lutnick lied to Congress, “it’s a felony.” OH NO!
One especially awkward exchange centered on why Lutnick accepted an invitation to Epstein’s island years after supposedly cutting contact. According to lawmakers exiting the interview, Lutnick’s answer boiled down to some version of “I don’t remember.” Which is always comforting when discussing a convicted sex offender’s private island.
The larger issue here isn’t just Lutnick. It’s the endless parade of wealthy and politically connected people who claimed Epstein was out of their lives—right up until flight logs, emails, calendars, or visitor records say otherwise. Somehow, in elite circles, “I barely knew him” keeps translating into “our families vacationed together.”
Source: CNBC report
Editor: Amazing how “I cut him off years ago” keeps turning into “well, except for the island trips, the calls, the meetings, and the social visits.” At this point the memory loss epidemic in Washington deserves its own CDC task force.
But wait, there’s more. There’s ALWAYS MORE #EpsteinFiles!
The strangest part isn’t what the note says. It’s that after seven years of investigations, leaks, court fights, and conspiracy theories, this thing was still sitting under seal.
Jeffrey Epstein’s Newly Released ‘Suicide Note’ Raises More Questions Than It Answers
A federal judge just unsealed a handwritten note allegedly penned by Jeffrey Epstein weeks before his death—and it reads less like remorse and more like a man taunting the system. #EpsteinFiles
The note was reportedly discovered in 2019 by Epstein’s former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, after Epstein was found unresponsive in his jail cell weeks before his death. According to the newly released document, Epstein wrote: “They investigated me for months — FOUND NOTHING!!” before adding, “Watcha want me to do — Bust out cryin’!! NO FUN — NOT WORTH IT!!”
A federal judge ordered the note released this week after years under seal. But even now, nobody seems willing to fully stand behind its authenticity. Tartaglione’s lawyers say they authenticated it, though no court or federal agency has officially verified the document. Which is exactly the kind of ambiguity that guarantees this story will fuel another decade of internet rabbit holes.
The note itself reads more like a defiant rant than a farewell. Epstein complains about investigations, mocks the allegations against him, and bizarrely describes choosing “one’s time to say goodbye” as “a treat.”
If authentic, it paints a picture of a man obsessed with control to the very end. If not authentic, then everyone involved has some serious explaining to do.
Of course, none of this changes the broader record. Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution involving a minor, was later arrested on federal sex trafficking charges in 2019, and has been accused by courts and victims of abusing and trafficking girls for years. The mystery around his death has always overshadowed the scale of what he was accused of doing while powerful people looked the other way.
Source: Washington Post (gift)
Editor: In America, apparently the only thing harder than guarding Jeffrey Epstein is producing a clean paper trail about literally anything connected to him.
Want to see the suicide note? Hit the comments.
Chief Justice John Roberts insisted Wednesday that the Supreme Court is not made up of “political actors,” even as public trust in the court keeps sliding after a string of deeply divisive rulings.
John Roberts Says Supreme Court Isn’t Political—Right After Another Earthquake Ruling
That argument gets a little harder to sell when half the country can predict a decision just by checking which party appointed the majority.
Speaking at a judicial conference in Pennsylvania, Roberts said Americans misunderstand the court’s role and wrongly assume the justices are simply making policy.
“I think they view us as purely political actors, which I don’t think is an accurate understanding of what we do,” Roberts said. He argued the court bases decisions on the Constitution and the law—not political outcomes.
The timing wasn’t exactly ideal. Roberts made the comments about a week after the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act by striking down a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana, opening the door to more redistricting battles nationwide. That ruling landed on top of previous blockbuster decisions overturning Roe v. Wade, expanding gun rights, and ending affirmative action in college admissions.
I wrote about the gutting of the VRA back in October 2025! (Link)
Roberts also condemned personal attacks on judges, warning that heated rhetoric can create dangerous consequences. While he avoided naming names, the backdrop was obvious: Donald Trump has repeatedly blasted judges and even targeted Roberts himself after rulings that went against the administration, including a recent tariff-related decision.
The broader problem for the court is perception. Roberts keeps trying to defend the institution as neutral and above politics, but Americans increasingly see outcomes lining up with ideological camps in ways that feel awfully familiar to partisan warfare. The court may insist it’s calling legal balls and strikes, but to a lot of voters, the scoreboard keeps looking suspiciously one-sided.
Source: Associated Press report
Editor: Roberts wants Americans to stop treating the Supreme Court like a political branch. Maybe he and his accomplices ought to stop acting like one.
For all the talk about overwhelming American dominance, the images tell a different story: Iran punched back hard, accurately, and repeatedly.
Iran Quietly Hammered U.S. Bases Across the Middle East—and Washington Apparently Downplayed It
New satellite analysis shows Iran damaged or destroyed at least 228 structures and pieces of equipment at U.S. military sites during the war—far more than the Pentagon publicly acknowledged.
According to a Washington Post investigation using verified satellite imagery, Iranian strikes hit hangars, barracks, fuel depots, radar systems, Patriot missile batteries, satellite communications equipment, and even aircraft across at least 15 U.S. military sites in the Middle East. Seven U.S. service members were killed and more than 400 troops were injured during the attacks.
What makes this even more revealing is how the evidence surfaced. The Post found that major commercial satellite companies limited or withheld imagery after requests from the U.S. government, making independent assessments difficult. Meanwhile, Iranian state-affiliated media openly published high-resolution images showing the damage—and the Post says none of the verified Iranian imagery appeared manipulated.'
We are looking at you, Starlink (owned by Elon Musk).
Military experts reviewing the images concluded Iran’s strikes were far more precise than many expected. “There are no random craters indicating misses,” said retired Marine colonel Mark Cancian. Analysts also warned the conflict exposed major weaknesses in U.S. defenses against drones and missile saturation attacks, especially at fixed bases throughout the Gulf region.
The implications here go way beyond one conflict. The Pentagon has spent decades building massive forward-operating bases under the assumption that superior air defenses and overwhelming force projection would keep them safe. But cheap drones, ballistic missiles, and relentless precision strikes are rewriting that equation fast. Some officials now reportedly believe U.S. forces may never return to several regional bases in large numbers.
Source: Washington Post (gift)
Editor: The Pentagon spent years preparing for trillion-dollar futuristic warfare, only to discover that swarms of relatively cheap missiles and drones can turn billion-dollar bases into very expensive target practice.
Former MAGA Influencer Says Trump’s Online Army Was Run Like a Paid Messaging Machine
Ashley St. Clair—a former conservative influencer with deep ties to the MAGA ecosystem—now claims many of Trump’s biggest online boosters were coordinating directly with political operatives for money and messaging.
St. Clair, who once worked with Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA and built a massive online following promoting conservative causes, says prominent right-wing influencers received talking points, coordinated through group chats, and were offered direct payments to amplify political narratives favorable to Donald Trump and Republican candidates.
“There is no free thinking here,” St. Clair said in a TikTok video. “They are waiting to get marching orders and a direct deposit.” That’s about as subtle as a brick through a campaign office window.
According to the report, St. Clair shared screenshots allegedly showing offers worth thousands of dollars per post, along with messages from political operatives asking influencers to help boost attacks against Democrats and the Biden administration. One message reportedly came from Trump campaign official James Blair, who allegedly asked whether Elon Musk could help “gas this fire” online before the election.
Critics are dismissing St. Clair as a bitter former insider, especially after her very public fallout involving Elon Musk and custody disputes. (She and Musk had a baby together.)
But researchers who study political influence campaigns say her claims line up with what many suspected for years: That supposedly “organic” online outrage was often highly coordinated, financially incentivized, and strategically amplified behind the scenes.
The bigger issue here isn’t just conservatives. Politics increasingly runs through influencer culture now, where viral clips matter more than policy papers and outrage is basically a business model. The line between authentic activism and paid political marketing keeps getting blurrier—and social media platforms are making fortunes off the confusion.
Source: Raw Story report
Editor: Somewhere along the way, “independent political commentator” became shorthand for “unpaid intern hoping to become a paid propagandist.” The influencer economy really did democratize grifting, especially by the rightwing MAGA “influencers.”