Trump clarifies his goals for Iran

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Trump makes his Iran goals a little clearer:

AP Photo | Jacquelyn Martin

President Trump says the U.S. will not make any deal with Iran “except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.”

“After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before,” Trump posted on Truth Social this morning.

He also reupped his demands for a regime change in the country, telling NBC News he wants to “clean out everything” when it comes to Iranian leadership.

💡 Why this matters: Most Americans feel that Trump has not clearly explained his goals with regard to Iran. Meanwhile, Americans are feeling the pinch of rising oil and gas prices. The lack of clear communication could be a further drag on his approval rating.

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➤ REPUBLICANS ARE AVOIDING THE W-WORD:

Trump has been referring to the attack on Iran as “war.” However, The New York Times’s Annie Karni reports that it’s making Republicans on Capitol Hill uncomfortable. They have spent days avoiding using the word “war,” describing the conflict as a “mission,” an “operation” or anything else but the W-word.

The DOJ released some more Epstein files:

The Justice Department just released more documents in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation after reports that some files related to Trump were........

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