Defending his controversial Iran policies, President Donald Trump told CNBC this morning:
“They want it to be over immediately, and I just looked at a little chart: WWI, four years, three months. WWII, six years. Korean War, three years. Vietnam, nineteen years. Iraq, eight years. I’m five months. Five months. I would have won Vietnam very quickly.”
Yet the source of Trump’s “five months” claim remains unclear.
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Photo Illustration by The Bulwark / Photos Getty, Shutterstock
The Scandal Is the Men Trump Hasn’t Fired
by William Kristol
While not the top story of the news cycle, another cabinet secretary has resigned. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer will leave the administration to join the private sector, according to a White House statement by spokesman Steven Cheung. Notably, Chavez-DeRemer was not permitted to announce her own departure.
She is the third cabinet secretary forced out by Trump in the last seven weeks. She follows:
- Kristi Noem, who left the Department of Homeland Security on March 24.
- Pam Bondi, who exited the Department of Justice on April 2.
None of these departures should be mourned by those who value competence, integrity, or honesty in government.
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Is There a Pattern?
As the villain in Ian Fleming’s 1959 novel Goldfinger famously says:
“Mr. Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: ‘Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it’s enemy action.’”
While the phrase may be hyperbolic, the Trump administration’s firing pattern raises eyebrows. When it comes to dismissals, the White House seems to chercher la femme—targeting women disproportionately.
Consider the male officials who remain in power despite serious controversies:
- Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has caused significant damage to his department and the nation, yet he remains in his role.
- Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has profited more from the Trump administration than Chavez-DeRemer did, yet he continues to serve.
- Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., despite his fringe beliefs, remains in office.
- FBI Director Kash Patel, known for his controversial tenure, also stays on.
Will Trump address the apparent imbalance by firing one of these men—or will another male official soon face the axe?
Meanwhile, Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNN on Sunday that gas prices may not drop below $3 until next year.