Trump News for Tuesday, March 3, 2026

Voting nears to a close in Texas primary that may be crucial to control of the Senate

Ashley Lopez, NPR

The GOP and Democratic primaries mark a potential litmus test for what direction base voters want their parties to go ahead of midterm elections this fall that will determine power in Congress.

WATCH: Mixed messaging as President Trump continues to seek to justify war with Iran

ABC News, Abcnews.com

Trump on Tuesday contradicted the words of Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Israel’s plans to attack Iran prompted the president to launch strikes.

Why Did Dropout (a Progressive, Pro-Queer Indie Streaming Service) Risk a Cameo on ‘The Rookie’?

Alison Foreman, IndieWire

Dropout CEO Sam Reich lent the world of 'Game Changer' to ABC's police procedural with Nathan Fillion and faced backlash from subscribers. Analysis.

Unpacking US justification for Iran attacks

Al Jazeera English

US officials confirmed the US didn’t attack Iran because of an ‘imminent threat’ but because Israel was going to strike.

Texas 2026 live primary election results

Emily Chang, Diana Paulsen, Abcnews.com

Texans will vote in the high-stakes Senate race.

What Anti-Regime Iranians Can’t Agree On

Stephanie Bai, The Atlantic

A conversation with Arash Azizi about Iranians’ hopes for their country and what it will take to get there

Fuck ICE Says West Virginia Court, Threatening Fines And Contempt Charges

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

The administration has burnt the “presumption of regularity” to a crispness normally reserved for conquered bridges succumbing to heat death. It is now well known that the Trump administration will do whatever it wants to do, whether or not it’s supported by …

Pentagon IDs 4 American troops killed in Kuwait

Steven Beynon, Abcnews.com

The Pentagon on Tuesday identified four of the six American service members killed by an Iranian drone strike at a base in Kuwait that wounded 18 others.

Elon Musk’s X Finally Tries to Stop the Epidemic of AI-Generated War Footage

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

It's unclear if other types of non-AI video will also be penalized.

Trump 'does not care' if Iran play at World Cup

BBC Sport, BBC News

US President Donald Trump says he does not care if Iran take part in this summer's 2026 World Cup.

Airfare impact: Will the Middle East conflict lead to higher flight prices?

David Slotnick, The Points Guy

Travelers will hopefully see flight operations return to normal soon, but they may also see higher prices.

President Trump aimed to cut science funding. Congress has quietly restored much of it

Katia Riddle, NPR

Despite President Trump's efforts to deeply cut science funding from the federal budget in 2026, Congress quietly restored much of the funding to previous levels in recent weeks.

The Trump administration still can’t decide why it’s doing this

Cameron Peters, Vox

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: The US is four days into a war with Iran — and the Tru…

Spain baulks at Trump’s threat to cut off all trade over NATO, Iran stance

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The US has relocated 15 aircraft, including refuelling tankers, from military bases in southern Spain.

Trump Wanted to Kill Congestion Pricing. Nevertheless, It Persisted

Ece Yildirim, Gizmodo.com

A federal judge just ruled against the Trump administration.

The 2026 World Cup faces big challenges with only 100 days to go

Rafael Nam, NPR

Will Iran compete? Will violence in Mexico flare up? And what about funding for host cities in the U.S.? With only 100 days left before it beings, the 2026 World Cup in North America is facing a lot of uncertainty.

What Trump’s war on Iran means for the US energy crunch

Justine Calma, The Verge

Fuel prices surged after the Trump administration launched strikes against Iran on Saturday, immediately raising questions about whether the war would increase energy costs for Americans, put more pressure on power grids, and push companies to pump out more o…

Rubio says Iran was ‘playing’ US in negotiations

Al Jazeera English

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran, saying “the world will be safer”.

Iranian Drone Strikes Near U.S. Consulate in Dubai, Sparking Blaze, on Video

TMZ Staff, TMZ

A suspected Iranian drone strike near the U.S. Consulate in Dubai sparked a raging fire Tuesday night, according to multiple reports ... and the aftermath was caught on video. Footage of the explosion soon began flooding socials today, showing the…

Oman renews push for diplomacy, says ‘off-ramps available’ in Iran war

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Oman had been mediating talks between Iran and the US before Washington attacked Tehran.

Here’s Why Trump Posted About Iran ‘Stealing’ the 2020 Election Hours After the US Attacked

David Gilbert, Wired

Donald Trump’s post on Truth Social about Iran echoed a conspiracy theory that has been circulating online for years.

Rubio To World: Stop Doing The Exact Same Thing The US Just Did

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

The State Department wants US diplomats to fight data localization around the world. The policy position is correct. It’s just that the messenger has spent the last few months systematically destroying every reason anyone might listen. Reuters has an exclusiv…

‘Worst-case scenario’: Trump weighs replacing Khamenei as leader of Iran

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Trump appeared to dismiss Reza Pahlavi as an option and sketched a vision of Iran's government similar to Venezuela's.

Trump mulls exiled Iranian dissident Reza Pahlavi as regime successor

Al Jazeera English

US President Donald Trump said Iranian dissident Reza Pahlavi could be a possible successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

US midterm primary season kicks off in shadow of Iran war

Joseph Stepansky, Al Jazeera English

Primaries will determine party candidates in November race to control Congress, give early window into voter sentiment.

A War of Stockpiles

Missy Ryan, Nancy A. Youssef, The Atlantic

The U.S. and Israel are racing to destroy Iran’s missile supplies before their own air defenses are exhausted.

Texas Senate primary gives glimpse of messaging, infighting heading into midterms

Emily Chang, Diana Paulsen, Abcnews.com

GOP race marked by vitriol while Dems see a chance for the first time in years.

US will provide insurance for ships in Gulf amid Iranian attacks: Trump

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

US Navy 'will begin escorting' oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway, if necessary, Trump says.

US travelers speak out as Iran war leaves them stranded

Yi-Jin Yu, Abcnews.com

American travelers are speaking out amid the ongoing attack on Iran by joint U.S.-Israeli forces.

The Supreme Court’s Republicans just seized the most dangerous power in constitutional law

Ian Millhiser, Vox

The Supreme Court’s Republican majority just did the legal equivalent of grabbing J.R.R. Tolkien’s One Ring, placing it on their collective fingers, and dancing around singing, “I just can’t wait to become a Nazgûl.” On Monday evening, the Court handed down M…

Iran after Khamenei

Avishay Artsy, Noel King, Vox

Iran has already announced new interim leadership to replace Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed this weekend, along with several other high-ranking Iranian officials in an Israeli strike. But who will lead the country in the long term is far from certain …

UK allows US to use British bases for ‘defensive strikes’ on Iran

Al Jazeera English

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has allowed the US to use British bases for so-called “defensive strikes” targeting Iran.

Trump says Iran navy, air force destroyed, Germany ‘helping out’

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Trump contradicts Rubio by saying US attacked Iran because 'he had a feeling' Tehran would attack Washington first.

Trump 'Not Happy' With Starmer Over Iran

BBC News

Trump criticises Starmer saying “This is not Winston Churchill we’re dealing with”.

No quick victory leaves Trump scrambling to define success in Iran

Abubakr Al-Shamahi, Al Jazeera English

Trump faces challenges as Iran resists negotiations after military escalation and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's killing.

How does the Iran war end?

Zack Beauchamp, Vox

The United States went to war with Iran for reasons that remain unclear.  At various points, the president and his allies have argued that this was a war of preemptive self-defense, an effort to prevent Iran from rebuilding its nuclear program, and even an at…

ChatGPT is trying to win back the users it just lost by rewriting its Pentagon deal

Mahnoor Faisal, MakeUseOf

Too little, too late?

Sen. Wyden Warns of Mass Surveillance Amid Pentagon’s Fight With Anthropic

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

"Creating AI profiles of Americans based on that data represents a chilling expansion of mass surveillance," said Wyden.

Minnesota Judge Shuts Down DHS’s Attempt To Expel Thousands Of Refugees

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

The Trump administration is purposefully cruel. That much cannot be argued, not when it has deliberately sent deportees to foreign torture prisons, dumped them in war-torn countries with histories of human rights abuses, and stranded people its has been order…

WATCH: Pentagon urges Americans to leave Middle East amid escalating Iran conflict

ABC News, Abcnews.com

U.S. citizens face flight cancellations and embassy closures as tensions rise. Matt Rivers reports from Beirut amid black smoke and explosions at the airport.

Big Law thought it won its battle with Trump. That lasted a day.

Jacob Shamsian, Business Insider

Yesterday, the Justice Department gave up trying to justify President Donald Trump's executive orders targeting law firms. Now it wants another shot.

Are US-Israeli attacks against Iran legal under international law?

Ali Harb, Brian Osgood, Al Jazeera English

Analysts say the joint US-Israeli strikes against Iran appear to breach the UN Charter's prohibition on aggression.

BYD Reveals the ‘World’s Longest-Range EV’ as American Auto Industry Struggles to Keep Pace

Bruce Gil, Gizmodo.com

The updated Denza Z9 GT can drive up to 1036 km (644 miles) on a single charge, the Chinese automaker says.

Trump: ‘We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain’

Al Jazeera English

Donald Trump targeted Spain in an Oval Office tirade, saying he was going "to cut off all trade" with the country.

WATCH: Clintons' deposition tapes released by House Oversight Committee

ABC News, Abcnews.com

The House Oversight Committee released video of the the Clintons' depositions as part of an inquiry into the federal government's handling of investigations into Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

WATCH: Trump pushes back on notion that Israel forced US' hand to attack Iran

ABC News, Abcnews.com

President Donald Trump pushed back on the idea that Israel forced the Trump administration's hand to attack Iran, telling ABC News that Iran was "going to attack if we didn't do it."

Cyberwarriors elevated to big leagues in US war with Iran

Brandon Vigliarolo, Theregister.com

No more hiding in the server closet: Cyber ops mentioned alongside kinetic warfare as critical to conflict In what may be the most public acknowledgment of its cyber operations capabilities to date, the Pentagon has admitted that cyber soldiers are playing a …

Here’s how journalists spot deepfakes

Jess Weatherbed, The Verge

In the days that followed the US and Israel's joint military strike on Iran on Saturday, floods of images and videos that supposedly document the war have appeared online. Some are old or depict unrelated conflicts, are made or manipulated with AI, and in som…

WATCH: President Trump says Iran was 'going to attack if we didn't do it'

ABC News, Abcnews.com

President Trump told ABC News' Rachel Scott that Iran was "going to attack if we didn't do it" after she asked if Israel forced his hand to launch strikes against Iran.

Trump contradicts Rubio, says Israel didn’t force him to launch war

Al Jazeera English

Donald Trump denied that Israel forced him into attacking Iran, contradicting his own Secretary of State.

Ron Wyden Is Begging His Colleagues To Stop Trying To Hand Trump A Censorship Weapon

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

We’ve been writing about Section 230 for a very long time. We’ve written about why it matters, why the people attacking it are wrong, and why most of the proposed “reforms” would make the internet dramatically worse for everyone except the already powerful. A…

Trump in phone call: Iran is 'running out of launchers'

Business Insider

"They're running out and they're running out of areas to shoot them, because they're being decimated," Trump said in a Tuesday call with POLITICO.

A Very Stable War

Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic

J. D. Vance says this Middle East entanglement can’t be dumb—because Trump is smart.

Trump says 'too late' for talks with Iran, warns US has munitions to fight 'forever'

Alexandra Hutzler, Abcnews.com

President Donald Trump now says it's "too late" for talks with Iran and warned the U.S. has enough munitions to fight "forever."

The one question everyone should be asking after OpenAI’s deal with the Pentagon

Sigal Samuel, Vox

American AI companies love to say that the US must win the AI arms race, or China will.  Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and Meta have all invoked the threat of a Chinese victory to justify speeding ahead on AI development, seemingly no matter what. The…

Hillary Clinton Points Finger at Donald Trump in Epstein Deposition

TMZ Staff, TMZ

Hillary Clinton didn't hold back when asked about President Donald Trump during her Epstein deposition last week ... pushing to have him testify under oath, because he's got a laundry list of bad behavior and past connections with the dead…

Why People Shed Tears for Tyrants

Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic

Both loyalists and dissidents cried over the death of Ayatollah Khamenei. This common reaction to a dictator’s demise is a symptom of the damage they do.

MAGA Lawmakers Want Congress’ Sexual Harassment Secrets Exposed

Ryan Bort, Rolling Stone

MAGA lawmakers like Nancy Mace are calling for Rep. Tony Gonzales to resign, and for more transparency regarding sexual harassment in Congress.

WATCH: Eyewitness video captures Tehran airstrike

ABC News, Abcnews.com

Eyewitness video captured a large plume of smoke rising over Tehran after an air strike hit the Iranian capital.

‘Russian oil will be sought’: What are Moscow’s gains from the war in Iran?

Mansur Mirovalev, Al Jazeera English

Russia, one of Iran's few allies, could profit from the war as it navigates diplomatic relations with Iran and Israel.

GOP “Antitrust Concerns” Magically Disappear Now That Larry Ellison Is Buying Warner Brothers

Karl Bode, Techdirt

You might have noticed that when Netflix was attempting to acquire Warner Brothers, Republicans were suddenly and uncharacteristically interested in media consolidation and antitrust reform. Republican AGs threatened investigation. The Trump DOJ launched a (f…

WATCH: Rescuers speak out after dramatic hot air balloon rescue

ABC News, Abcnews.com

"GMA" shares details of the rescue more than 900 feet in the air and hears from the firefighters who saved two people trapped in the balloon.

Analysis – Trump’s foreign policy message in a nutshell: ‘We can reach you’

Awad Joumaa, Al Jazeera English

Trump makes adversaries and reluctant partners central to his politics, pairing direct threats with transactional deals.

Trump admin offers scant evidence on Iranian threat in ‘America First’ war

Joseph Stepansky, Al Jazeera English

War powers legislation talks reignite as Democrats push back on Trump's justification for 'preemptive' strikes on Iran.

The Anthropic-OpenAI fight could usher in a new era: chatbot monogamy

Dan DeFrancesco, Business Insider

The AI giants behind two of the world's most popular chatbots, Claude and ChatGPT, have escalated their beef. Now people are picking sides.

U.S. evacuates diplomats from Middle East. And, what to expect from N.C., Texas primaries

Brittney Melton, NPR

The U.S. has evacuated diplomats in the Middle East and closed several embassies as war in Iran intensifies. And, what to expect from the Senate races in the North Carolina and Texas primary elections.

Noem to face 2 days of grilling on Capitol Hill over ICE operations and Iran threat

Luke Barr, Abcnews.com

Her testimony comes as part of her department is shut down amid funding fight.

Kristi Noem Still Won't Admit That Renee Good and Alex Pretti Weren't 'Domestic Terrorists'

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

All Kristi Noem had to do was admit, weeks later, that Pretti and Good were not terrorists. She still couldn't bring herself to do it.

‘Trump didn’t follow legal proceedings to launch this war’

Al Jazeera English

'Trump left all options open for when he would be bored with this to decide it's done and find a way to declare victory'

The candy heir vs. chocolate skimpflation

Greg Rosalsky, NPR

The grandson of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups creator has launched a campaign against The Hershey Company, which owns the Reese's brand. He wants them to stop skimping on ingredients.

Trump Opens the Pandora’s Box of Assassination

Tim Naftali, The Atlantic

Killing anyone without a trial, let alone a foreign leader, involves a moral choice.

In Defense of Effeminate Gay Boys

Ben Appel, The Atlantic

If anyone had suggested that I might really be a girl, I don’t know how I would have responded.

North Carolina primaries launch battle to replace retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis

Halle Troadec, Abcnews.com

Democrats are hoping former Gov. Roy Cooper can flip the seat blue.

Minnesota Is Seeking Prosecution Against ICE Agents and Gregory Bovino

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

In addition to seeking misconduct charges against Bovino, Minnesota is still investigating the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

North Carolina and Texas have primary elections Tuesday. Here's what you need to know

The NPR Network, NPR

The midterm elections are officially underway and contests in Texas and North Carolina will be the first major opportunity for parties to hear from voters about what's important to them in 2026.

Kristi Noem set to face senators over DHS shutdown, immigration enforcement

Ximena Bustillo, NPR

The focus of the hearing is likely to be on how Kristi Noem is pursuing President Trump's mass deportation efforts in his second term, after two U.S. citizens were killed by immigration officers.

Texas Republicans back Trump over Iran - but some wary of 'a quagmire'

BBC News

The president's supporters in one town hail his actions in the Middle East - though some comments suggest seeds of trouble.

Melania Trump presides at UN Security Council meeting as U.S. attacks Iran

The Associated Press, NPR

U.S. first lady Melania Trump presided over a U.N. Security Council meeting on Monday focusing on children in conflict, as the United States has joined Israel in attacking Iran.

Could the US run low on weapons for its assault on Iran?

Sarah Shamim, Al Jazeera English

Analysts say the US could run low on vital interceptor missiles within weeks.

Jon Stewart Condemns Trump’s Attack on Iran: ‘Our Bombs Are Now Smarter Than Our President’

Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone

Jon Stewart criticized Donald Trump's attack on Iran alongside Israel on the latest episode of 'The Daily Show.'

Video: Top Democrat says there was no imminent threat to the US from Iran

Al Jazeera English

US Democratic senator Mark Warner says there was no “imminent threat” from Iran to the US.

Iranian drones hit the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia, while hundreds are reported dead in Iran

JON GAMBRELL, ELENA BECATOROS and SAMY MAGDY, Yahoo Entertainment

Iran struck the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia’s capital with a drone early Tuesday as it kept hitting targets around the region, while the United States and...

Hillary Clinton told House panel, 'I've given the same answers over and over again'

James Hill, Peter Charalambous, Abcnews.com

Hillary Clinton told the House Oversight Committee she never interacted with Jeffrey Epstein, according to newly released video of last week's closed-door deposition.

Trump administration's mixed messaging on war with Iran: ANALYSIS

Justin Fishel, Abcnews.com

Now days into President Donald Trump's war against Iran, much of the administration's messaging has been confusing or contradictory.

Facing Backlash, OpenAI Amends Pentagon Deal to Add More Anti-Surveillance Verbiage

Mike Pearl, Gizmodo.com

When Katy Perry sides with your competitor, something's got to be done.

Trump Goes on Wild Posting Spree to Try to Shift War Blame

William Vaillancourt, Cameron Adams, Daily Beast

Donald Trump played a game of hypotheticals and then thanked himself in the third person as part of an attempt to deflect blame for his strikes on Iran...

How much could the Iran war cost the US? Here’s what we know

Elizabeth Melimopoulos, Al Jazeera English

Predicting the total cost of the campaign is difficult, and experts warn the greater challenge may be inventory.

Melania Trump chairs UN meeting on children days after Iran school strike

Al Jazeera English

US First Lady Melania Trump has presided over a UN Security Council meeting focusing on children in conflict.

Kesha Blasts White House for Using ‘Blow’ to ‘Incite Violence and Threaten War’ in TikTok Clip

Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone

Kesha lambasted the White House on Monday for using 'Blow' in a TikTok video 'to incite violence and threaten war.'

Rubio says US struck Iran fearing it would retaliate for Israeli attack

Shannon K. Kingston, Abcnews.com

Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a new rationale for why the U.S. attacked Iran now.

WATCH: Attack on Iran: How we got here

ABC News, Abcnews.com

ABC News chief global affairs correspondent Martha Raddatz reports on Iran's recent history and what life was like under the Ayatollah's regime.

In a first as president, Trump says he'll attend the White House correspondents' dinner

Yahoo Entertainment

Supreme Court blocks redrawing of New York congressional map, dealing a win for GOP

Zoe Sobel, NPR

At issue is the mid-term redrawing of New York's 11th congressional district, including Staten Island and a small part of Brooklyn.

Trump’s Iran War is Built on Lies and Fantasies

Ryan Bort, Rolling Stone

Donald Trump has no clear objective in mind, let alone a plan to achieve an endgame in Iran. What is America even doing by attacking the nation?