Howard Jackson

The coronavirus situation is a health crisis that seems to feel like someone else’s nightmare: being quarantined within a confined geography populated by sick, dying and possibly sick or dying people.

@McFaul @ScarboroughNow Look who has the cards now.

Thank you Ukraine! I sure wish our Vice President would acknowledge how deeper partnership with Ukraine advances US interests rather than bragging about cutting off military assistance to Ukraine.

@gtconway3d Republicans have embraced victimhood like a toddler in need of a nap.

Stalking?? Because someone asked questions about the FBI was ferrying around its director's girlfriend in a government-owned Gulfstream V?? What ridiculous, rancid reprobates we have running this atrocious, abased administration.

I tried to take a break from politics while I was in Japan but I walked into this “No War” protest in Nagoya. Protestors chanted “Takaichi Yamero!” calling for PM Sanae Takaichi to resign (many perceive her as Trump sycophant) #Japan #高市早苗

@marcthiessen But…but….the White House lies (and people without critical thinking skills swallow it willingly)

But ... but … I was reliably told we were losing!

@guypbenson Rational people don’t equate alliances with acquiescence to every reckless whim of a president that initiates unnecessary wars and expects others to participate when he’s unable to finish what he starts.

We certainly don’t see Europe as a threat (no one does), but warm feelings of alliance are certainly cooling on our side of the ocean, too. I’m sorry to say it, but it’s true.

@JoeSquawk You got owned.

No shame, fuzzy math, and a very short memory.

@HeathMayo If we have so much oil and gas, why are we paying so much for it?

So now closing the Strait is a good thing? He wants you to believe that this oil was otherwise not going to be sold—or maybe he himself actually believes that (which is even worse). Don’t be that gullible.

@HeathMayo Democrats operate like a political party. Republicans operate like a cult.

Good for the Democrats out in California. Glad they are dumping abusers and sexual assaulters despite how they poll. The Republicans still worship them as party leaders, cabinet members, and Senate nominees.

@JessicaTarlov Trump needs an off ramp. And with inflation increasing, and elections coming up, he needs an off ramp fast. That’s never a strong place in which to start a high stakes negotiation. He sent Vance to fail.

Trump saying that Iran has “no cards” is laughable - the world is hurting from their control of the Strait of Hormuz. Seems like a pretty powerful card! Inflation is up and fuel is up over 40% in just a month. Our negotiating team is anchored by real estate developers, one of whom didn’t understand what Iran was even offering to begin with. And Iran and Russia have been getting the sanctions relief they wanted. Can’t argue this is all going to plan.

Squawk Box wasn’t ready for Mayor Pete

@chyeaok @atrupar ….when you’re trying to listen objectively but are forced to break character

“The math is the math” lmao his own cohosts has to step in and be like come on man

@atrupar 😂

Joe Kernen comes close to having a coronary on air as Pete Buttigieg dogwalks him all over the Squawk Box studio about Trump's economic mismanagement and inflation

@HeathMayo Promises made, promises broken.

Trump: “Starting on day one, we will end inflation and make America affordable again, to bring down the prices of all goods.” (Aug. ‘24) Trump: “We’re going to get your energy prices down. We’re going to get your energy prices down by 50%.” (Aug. ‘24) Trump: “Prices will come down. You just watch: They’ll come down, and they’ll come down fast, not only with insurance, with everything.” (Aug. ‘24) Trump: “Starting on day one, we will end inflation and make America affordable again. We’ll do that. We’ve got to bring it down.” (Oct. ‘24) Trump at Davos: “We have defeated inflation. Grocery prices, energy prices, airfares, mortgage rates, rent and car payments are all coming down, and they’re coming down fast. We’ve done a hell of a job in 12 months.” (Jan. ‘26) Today:

We’ve ceded control of the Strait of Hormuz to the fake “new regime” and given them a whole new revenue stream to reconfigure their military assets. At a cost of billions of taxpayer dollars and our global standing. This scam is worse than the “yellow cake in Niger”.

Salesman: The car is $25k Trump: $20k take it or leave it. Salesman: No thank you. It’s $25k Trump: okay fine, I’ll do $24k final offer. Salesman: No thank you. Trump: Fine I’ll give you $28k MAGA: WOW ART OF THE DEAL!!!

@DanWells1139026 @HeathMayo They’ve been chanting about “killing us” for a generation. There has been no evidence presented to us or the world that there was an imminent threat, which is part of why our allies are not supporting the effort. You’ve fallen for the “yellow cake from Niger” scam.

@HoJack214 @HeathMayo It was a war of choice. We could choose to use this tiny window to stop Iran from developing nuclear tipped ICBM’s or we could choose to let them do it & hope they change their minds about killing us. It had to be now or not at all. Glad you aren’t POTUS.

This is like taking a victory lap around the field thinking the crowd is cheering for you after just getting beat by 4 touchdowns and a field goal and mistakenly running through the back of your own end-zone thinking you scored.

@RHFontaine Trump’s bluster might have open the Strait? The Strait was open before Trump started blustering. We’ve lost leverage to a country he claimed we defeated.

There is a fog in diplomacy as of war, but a few things stand out after the ceasefire announcement: 1. This may not be the end but it’s at least the beginning of the end. Trump’s bluster might have opened the Strait of Hormuz and ultimately avoided catastrophic attacks on Iran’s civilian infrastructure. Two weeks give the sides a chance to lock in a peace deal. But it may not be a good agreement. 2. Already, Iran says that ships can pass the Strait “via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces.” That means that Tehran controls access, which was not the case before the war. It’s hard to see how the United States – or the world – can accept indefinite Iranian control of such a key energy chokepoint. 3. Trump says Iran’s 10 point plan is a workable basis for negotiation. But that plan includes Iranian control of the Strait, accepting Iran’s right to enrich uranium, lifting all sanctions, no attacks on proxies like Hezbollah, paying reparations, and the withdrawal of US combat forces from the Middle East. It's a regime wishlist. 4. Iran remains in possession of its stock of highly enriched uranium, which the President says can be monitored effectively by satellite. If that was sufficient to prevent its misuse, however, it’s not clear why attacking Iran was necessary in the first place. 5. The real threat was Iran’s growing stockpile of missiles and drones, which it would eventually have in such quantities as to overwhelm any reasonable regional defenses. Behind that umbrella, Tehran could pursued its malign aims, including on the nuclear front. So if there was a casus belli, it was to degrade those programs. 6. But the administration’s war aims were broader: no nuclear Iran, no missiles or drones, no navy, no blocking the Strait of Hormuz, no support to proxies, decapitating the leadership and, depending on the day, overthrowing the regime. 7. Instead the regime remains in place, with nuclear material, and with degraded forces that still allow it to menace neighbors and block the Strait. If Tehran gets a decent proportion of its desired 10 points, we may face a materially worse situation than when this all started. 8. That's not inevitable, and hopefully that outcome can be avoided. But the negotiators now have tremendous work before them.

@HeathMayo “Art of the deal”

You have to be kidding me! One of the points in the 10-point ceasefire deal we apparently agreed to is: “Iran may continue to enrich uranium for its nuclear program.”