Byron York

You hear it all the time: Why doesn't Trump just finish the job in Iran? Bomb the hell out of them, send in the troops, double down, and get it over with? There could be good cost-benefit reasons... washingtonexaminer.com/daily-memo/458…

Why doesn't Trump just finish the job in Iran? Question being asked everywhere. From a senior administration official: "The president's view right now is that you would need a substantial escalation in order to meaningfully change things that are on the ground." More: "You could always get more through military conduct, the question is whether you could get something that is worth the cost." Right now, it seems obvious Trump has decided no, the benefit is not worth the cost. washingtonexaminer.com/daily-memo/458…

"All told, a remarkable two-thirds of the Valley’s nearly 400,000 tech jobs are now held by those born abroad, according to a 2025 report from the think tank Joint Venture Silicon Valley." realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2026/…

Trump often promises quick negotiations, but the fact is, the Iranians are slow movers. Especially so after the assassinations of Khamenei and others. Senior administration official: "It is quite shocking the length to which they are going to ensure that the Supreme Leader is never in a vulnerable spot. They're practically communicating by [carrier] pigeon at this point, and that does make it hard for them to make decisions." washingtonexaminer.com/daily-memo/458…

The Iran talks: How the administration sees things now. washingtonexaminer.com/daily-memo/458…

As Trump applies pressure to Iran, the US is feeling pressure, too. With Strait closed, Bessent has warned that the economic "shock absorbers" can't absorb much more shock. "We have got to get the Strait open." washingtonexaminer.com/daily-memo/458…

IRAN NEGOTIATION NARRATIVE: President Trump forcefully rejects rumors of a weak nuclear deal, declaring he will never "hand over cash" to Tehran. President Trump tells @LawrenceBJones3 that critics alleging a soft approach are dead wrong. "Do you actually think that I would be the president after all that I've said when it comes to Iran never getting a nuclear weapon, that I would just hand over cash to them?"

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Iran: "We're still a work in progress. As I said, you know, we thought we might have some news last night. Maybe today I wouldn't read too much into it. It takes a little while to hear back. So we have what I think is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the straits, get the straits open, enter into a very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matters. And hopefully we can pull it off. It has a lot of support in the Gulf. It has a lot of support in the U.S. Globally, every country that we've walked through it understands it's not just very reasonable, but it's the right thing for the world to get done. As the president said, he's not in a hurry. He's not going to make a bad deal. I mean, the president's not going to make a bad agreement. So let's see what happens. Well, we're going to give diplomacy every chance to succeed before we explore the alternatives."

What began as the war to get Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions is now the war to open the Strait of Hormuz--and get Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. The Trump administration is trying to do it all in a two-part settlement. It's hard. The latest: washingtonexaminer.com/daily-memo/458…

The Iran talks: How the administration sees things now. A two-step process: 1) Iran opens the Strait--and agrees to give up nuke program--while the US lifts the blockade. 2) Then they try to agree on how to turn over the enriched "dust." Will that work? washingtonexaminer.com/daily-memo/458…

Updates.

Everything about the DNC's handling of the "autopsy" suggests a party that did *not* want to examine its defeat in 2024. Yes, Democratic officials felt the need to *say* there was an investigation going on. But they didn't want to actually do it. washingtonexaminer.com/daily-memo/457…

Anonymous Israeli officials complain to the New York Times that Trump has "sidelined" Israel in Iran war talks. US officials said Trump "considered Netanyahu someone who needed to be restrained when it comes to resolving conflicts." nytimes.com/2026/05/23/wor…

Thank you, Stephen Colbert.

The DNC autopsy: Did Democrats really want to know? Many assumed DNC chair Ken Martin was hiding an explosive document that would reveal his party's political malpractice. Now, it appears there's a lot about 2024 that DNC leadership did not want to know, and releasing the incomplete, sloppy autopsy would show the world that the party never made a serious effort to understand its failure. washingtonexaminer.com/daily-memo/457…

The way Colbert successfully rebranded himself as a martyr to Trumpism when every expert on TV pointed out he was losing tens of millions a year is just astonishing. It’s like if Harvey Weinstein had claimed he was taken out by the NRA except everyone fell for it this time.

From new Fox poll, support/oppose numbers on Iran war. Headline: support 40% oppose 60%. Republican support: 74%. 2024 Trump voters support: 72%. static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/co… static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/co…

From WP: "U.S. bears brunt of Israel’s missile defense, Pentagon assessments show." washingtonpost.com/national-secur…

Gingrich Takes a Look at the GOP's 2026 Chances. washingtonexaminer.com/daily-memo/457…

Tom Homan tells me he's currently working on a plan for an ICE crackdown in Hochul and Mamdani's New York. washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigra…