Trump in Saudi Arabia Announces $600-billion Investment in United States

From the White House: The deals celebrated today are historic and transformative for both countries and represent a new golden era of partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia. From day one, President Trump’s America First Trade and Investment Policy has put the American economy, the American worker, and our national security first… Underscoring our commitment to strengthening our defense and security partnership, the United States and Saudi Arabia signed the largest defense sales agreement in history—nearly $142 billion, providing Saudi Arabia with state-of-the-art warfighting equipment and services from over a dozen U.S. defense firms (White House).  Military.com: President Donald Trump on Tuesday held out Saudi Arabia as a model for a reimagined Middle East, using the first major foreign trip of his term to emphasize the promise of economic prosperity over instability in a region reeling from multiple wars. Offering partnership to longtime foes, Trump said he would move to lift sanctions on Syria and normalize relations with the new government led by a former insurgent, and he touted the U.S. role in bringing about a fragile ceasefire with Yemen’s Houthis (Military.com). Trump walking out to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” (X).

Trump Issues Yet Another Warning to Iran: “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon”

Salem News Channel: U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday called Iran the “most destructive force” in the Middle East, blaming Tehran for instability across the region and warning that the United States will never allow it to obtain a nuclear weapon. Offering what he described as both a final warning and a potential opening for diplomacy, Trump said Iran has a choice between continuing its “chaos and terror” or embracing a path toward peace…. “I want to make a deal with Iran,” he said. “But if Iran’s leadership rejects this olive branch…, we will have no choice but to inflict massive maximum pressure” Speaking at an investment summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh, Trump warned that “Iran will never have a nuclear weapon”, and said his offer for a deal won’t last forever (Salem News Channel). Institute for the Study of War: Iran’s refusal to accept US demands for zero uranium enrichment and the complete dismantlement of its nuclear program could stall US-Iran nuclear negotiations. The United States and Iran held their fourth round of nuclear talks in Oman on May 11. US Special Envoy to the Middle East and lead US negotiator Steve Witkoff stated prior to the talks that Iran can ”never” have an enrichment program. Witkoff stated that Iran must dismantle its three enrichment facilities at Natanz, Fordow, and Esfahan and can no longer have centrifuges. Witkoff added that a new nuclear agreement would not include sunset provisions (ISW).

Israel Targets Hamas Leader Mohammed Sinwar

The brother of Yahya Sinwar, the previous head of murderous terror group who was taken out by the IDF in October last year. Jonathan Conricus believes the chances are “pretty good” Mohammed was eliminated (X). Wall Street Journal: The strike hit an underground site near the European Hospital in Khan Younis, targeting a Hamas command and control facility, Israel’s military said. Gaza’s health ministry said six people were killed and more than 40 injured as a result of the strike. It could take days for Israel to determine whether the strike was successful in killing Sinwar, said another official…. If Mohammed Sinwar is dead, it would mean that the most important Hamas leaders behind the Oct. 7 attack have been taken out by Israel. After the Oct. 7 attack, Israel vowed to kill all of Hamas’s top leadership, including those abroad, and anyone who took part in or planned the attack (WSJ). Jerusalem Post: If Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar has indeed been assassinated, it would make it easier to reach a hostage and ceasefire deal, an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday evening. “(Mohammed) Sinwar was the most extreme figure in terms of negotiation positions for reaching a deal,” the official said. “If he is out of the picture, it should ease the efforts to reach an agreement.” The assassination attempt occurred as the Israeli delegation, led by “M” from the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and the Coordinator for Hostages and Missing Persons, Gal Hirsch, arrived in Qatar on Tuesday evening (Jerusalem Post).

The DNC Looks to Nullify Election of David Hogg as Vice Chair

Not the most democratic party: The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has taken a first step toward possibly requiring a new election for two of its vice chairs, including David Hogg, who has stirred controversy with his call for primary challenges to longtime incumbents in safe seats. The DNC’s Credentials Committee voted Monday to nullify the results of the February election in which Hogg and Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta won two of the three vice chair positions. The vote followed a procedural complaint that one of the losing candidates made challenging the way the election was determined (The Hill). Just a reminder to readers: Total number of delegates who voted for Kamala Harris as the nominee for their party in 2024: Zero (Green Papers; 270 to Win). They could have held an open convention. Here’s how that would have worked (New York Times). Victor Davis Hanson on the coups: In 2020, covert actors decided to ossify the Democratic primary races. Next, they conferred the nomination on a clearly cognitively challenged Joe Biden. He was now tasked with serving as a useful moderate vessel for a virtual, even more radical, Obama third term. The same operators next assumed virtual control of Biden’s presidential agenda, given his accelerating cognitive decline. When that charade could no longer be sustained, for a third time, they circumvented the normal transparent democratic process. So, they removed the once useful but now a liability Biden—while insisting that he was still fit enough to keep the left in power—until the anticipated Harris victory in November. And all of this was the shadow work of those who sanctimoniously lectured America that “democracy dies in darkness” (Victor Hanson).

Tomorrow: Supreme Court to Hear Trump Challenge to Universal Injunctions

Or what feels like judicial tyranny to the portion of the nation that voted for Trump. The case proper is over birthright citizenship. This hearing, however, will be about the numerous injunctions that have sought to limit the administration’s efforts coast to coast. SCOTUS Blog: The dispute is one of the relatively rare proceedings that came to the justices as an emergency appeal – on the so-called “shadow docket” – only to be set for oral arguments…. the primary issue before the court on Thursday is whether lower-court judges can issue what are known as universal injunctions to block an order nationwide. With a universal injunction, a federal judge (or several in this case) can that bar the government from enforcing an executive order – or, in another case, a law or policy – anywhere in the country. The Trump administration, which has been blocked by many such injunctions in recent months, argues that the practice is unconstitutional…. President Donald Trump set the events leading to Thursday’s argument in motion on Jan. 20, when he signed an executive order ending birthright citizenship. Under the order, which was originally slated to go into effect on Feb. 19, children born in the United States would not be automatically entitled to U.S. citizenship if their parents were in this country illegally or temporarily – for example, on a work or student visa…. Seven years ago, in a concurring opinion in Trump v. Hawaii, Justice Clarence Thomas called universal injunctions “legally and historically dubious.” Moreover, he added, they are “beginning to take a toll on the federal court system — preventing legal questions from percolating through the federal courts, encouraging forum shopping, and making every case a national emergency for the courts and for the Executive Branch” (SCOTUSblog). The very fact that they are holding this hearing may bode well for the president. Margot Cleveland at the Federalist: That the Supreme Court scheduled oral argument on the nationwide injunction issue, while the underlying question of the constitutionality of the president’s EO continues to percolate in the lower courts, suggests several of the justices have grave concerns over nationwide injunctions. Further, as the Trump Administration’s brief highlights, five justices — Justices Alito, Barrett, Thomas, Kavanaugh, and Gorsuch — at different times and in various concurrences or dissents, have criticized the use of nationwide injunctions (Federalist).

Inflation Numbers Down; Grocery Prices: Biggest Drop in Five Years

CNBC: Inflation was slightly lower than expected in April as President Donald Trump’s tariffs just began hitting the slowing U.S. economy, according to a Labor Department report Tuesday. The consumer price index, which measures the costs for a broad range of goods and services, rose a seasonally adjusted 0.2% for the month, putting the 12-month inflation rate at 2.3%, its lowest since February 2021, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said. The monthly reading was in line with the Dow Jones consensus estimate while the 12-month was a bit below the forecast for 2.4% (CNBC). Bloomberg: In fact, it was the third-straight month US government inflation numbers were lower than forecast (Bloomberg). Supermarket News: … the largest monthly decline since September 2020. Five of the six major grocery store group indexes dropped, led by a 12.7% decrease in egg prices, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs declined 1.6% in April after recent increases…. The cereals and bakery products index dropped 0.5% in April, while fruits and vegetables and other food at home fell 0.4% and 0.1%, respectively. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers rose 0.2% in April on a seasonally adjusted basis after falling 0.1% in March. The index for food, which includes food away from home (restaurants), was up slightly at 0.1%. The news comes as grocery shoppers remain concerned about food inflation, with a growing number putting purchases on credit cards (Supermarket News).

Trump Taking Heat on Qatari Plane Gift

Politico: A number of Republican lawmakers are souring on President Donald Trump’s plans to accept a luxury Boeing 747 aircraft as a gift from Qatar — a rare series of rebukes of the president by his allies in Congress. Senate Majority Leader John Thune on Tuesday became the most prominent Republican to express discomfort with the deal, telling reporters there are “lots of issues associated with that offer which I think need to be further talked about.” Firebrands within the GOP caucus have gone even further in their rebukes, saying the deal could feed questions of impropriety and legitimize a regime they argue supports Islamist militant groups around the world. “I do think the jet probably sends the wrong signal to people, and I don’t like the look or the appearance (of it), so I would hope he rejects it,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said Tuesday on Fox News. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) noted Qatar’s financial support for militant group Hamas, a foe of Israel, and voiced concern about the security risks the plane could present (Politico). Mark Levin: I don’t think Qatar’s leaders are either new or interested in abandoning terrorism. They’re “globalists” who spread their money to support terrorism, terrorist groups, and terrorist propaganda throughout the Middle East, the West, and our country — multi-billions of dollars (X). Seth Mandel: Once upon a time Trump had not-so-nice things to say about his new friends the Qataris. They have, he correctly noted in 2017, “historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level.” This was during Trump’s first term as president, and he backed a plan by regional Gulf allies to impose a blockade on Qatar…. Edan Alexander is free. But as the scheme to drag him to Qatar for a photo op with the emir and Trump shows, he isn’t yet free of Qatar’s malign influence. And neither, apparently, is the United States (Commentary).

Looking Towards 2028, Gavin Newsom Is Identifying as a Conservative Democrat

No, that’s not a line from the Babylon Bee. David Strom of Hot Air: You have to hand it to Gavin Newsom. He understands that being a brazen hypocrite is an asset in politics. For 20 years, he has been a left-wing crusader, serving as Mayor of San Francisco, Lieutenant Governor of California, and now Governor. Every step along the way, he has been the slick and generally attractive, in more ways than one, face of the radical left. He has cultivated deep ties to the tech community and the Chamber of Commerce types, but his policies have steadily moved a state once governed by Ronald Reagan so far left that it has almost fallen into the Pacific Ocean…. Trump’s victory in the general election sent a clear message to Newsom–one that most people in his party have not heeded: voters are tired of lefty dysfunction. That explains Newsom’s lurch to the right. The first few episodes of his new podcast featured friendly interviews with right-leaning guests, including Steve Bannon, Charlie Kirk, and Michael Savage. He has dropped tidbits that suggest he isn’t the radical lefty who has been sitting in California’s top political offices for two decades. For instance, he suddenly discovered that girls and boys may be different and not belong in sports together (Hot Air). In recent years, even Newsom himself has had to admit that California is a failed state: “We look like a third-world country.” Reason: California … increasingly embodies other third-world characteristics. For instance, it has the largest population of super-wealthy people in the nation, as any drive near the Pacific coast will remind us. But it also has the highest percentage of poor people, using the Census Bureau’s cost-of-living-adjusted figures. The progressives who control this state are obsessed with such South American-style inequality, but they seem more fixated on leveling (or chasing away) the rich rather than improving conditions for the poor and middle class. There’s an obvious reason, given that their government-centric policies have driven up the cost of everything, eroded public services, and helped create the economic chasm (Reason). Newsom can identify however he’d like, but nobody should be fooled.

Sen. Eric Schmidt Gives Blistering Response to Dems Holding Up Trump Nominee for Ambassador to the Vatican as Formal Papal Installation Approaches

Sen. Schmidt (R-MO): But the truth is this is really about Trump derangement syndrome. The truth is this is about the Democrats not coming to grips about getting smoked in November because they don’t have a message. So what are they grasping at all these ridiculous things, so somebody can say they’re the chief “resistor.” I just never thought I’d see a day that “the resistance” would mean holding up the ambassador to the Holy See to be there for the installation of the Pope. But here’s where we are. Total brokenness from the other side… (X). Pope Leo XIV will be formally installed on May 18 (CBS). More on Trump’s nominee—Brian Burch: Burch, who lives in the Chicago suburbs, is a graduate of the University of Dallas, a private Catholic school. In 2020, he wrote a book titled “A New Catholic Moment: Donald Trump and the Politics of the Common Good.”  According to his biography on CatholicVote, Burch has received the Cardinal O’Connor Defender of the Faith Award from Legatus International and the St. Thomas More Award for Catholic Citizenship by Catholic Citizens of Illinois (Catholic News Agency).

What Kind of Pope Will He Be? Catholic Leaders Sort Through Pope Leo XIV

George Weigel: I was very happy with the new pope’s choice of regnal name. As I suggested in The Irony of Modern Catholic History and To Sanctify the World: The Vital Legacy of Vatican II, Pope Leo XIII created the modern papacy and the Catholic grand strategy of engaging the modern world in order to convert it. Leo XIII also took the Church in the United States seriously as something new in the Catholic experience: a flourishing local Church that was institutionally separated from the state and sought only to be allowed to be itself…. Then there was Leo’s devotion to the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, whom he brought back to the center of Catholic intellectual life. In doing so, he reaffirmed the Catholic conviction that faith and reason are, as Pope John Paul II would put it a century later, the two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth. What did all that mean? Permit me a simple answer: It means we have a pope who grasps the nature of the Petrine Office—and who understands that the office should not be bent to personal idiosyncrasies (First Things). Hugh Hewitt: The not merely “conventional” wisdom, but the actual “universally held belief” that an American could not be elected pope fell like many such convictions over the decades for many reasons we can only guess at. But perhaps the perfect candidate emerged who could please both those cardinals who wanted some, if not complete, continuity with Francis’ preference for the migrant and the desperately poor, but also one who assuaged some, if not all, the concerns of those cardinals who recognized a widening divide with American Catholicism, a divide that could become the sort of rupture that, if expanded instead of bridged, could become permanent and even schismatic…. Pope Leo could do a lot to repair breaches in the Church with some early selections there which heal divisions while also continuing the embrace begun by St. John Paul the Great and continued by Benedict and Francis of a global Church that holds up the divinity of Jesus Christ first and always and usually recalls and broadcasts that the Beatitudes are the quick hack on the whole of the Gospels (Fox News).