Trump’s Iran strikes overshadow wild political storm

The world’s eyes were fixed on explosions in Iran after military strikes ordered by Donald Trump. But while the dramatic escalation dominated headlines, a string of extraordinary political moments unfolded back in the United States. And many of them slipped quietly under the radar.

Behind the scenes, figures in Trump’s orbit reportedly circulated a draft plan that could dramatically reshape U.S. elections. The proposal involves declaring a “national emergency” based on claims that China interfered in the 2020 presidential election. That declaration could give the White House sweeping powers over voting rules ahead of the November midterm elections.

The draft executive order runs 17 pages and outlines sweeping changes. Among them are mandatory voter ID nationwide and a ban on postal voting. Even more striking, it would require every American voter to re-register and present proof of citizenship to vote in the midterms.

The document reportedly claims that China interfered in the 2020 election on behalf of Hunter Biden. No evidence for that claim is presented. But several prominent election-fraud advocates have been linked to the proposal.

Those figures include former national security adviser Michael Flynn, MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, and former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne. Byrne previously resigned from Overstock after revealing a relationship with Russian agent Maria Butina.

Trump was asked about the reported plan while traveling to Texas. His response raised eyebrows. “Who told you that?” he asked when questioned about declaring a national emergency.

The president then said he knew nothing about the proposal. Critics noted he previously made similar claims about the policy blueprint known as Project 2025, even as many of its ideas became part of his platform.

Later that night, Trump delivered a speech in Corpus Christi, Texas. Speaking to a modest crowd, he suggested he might deserve another presidential term.

“Time flies… maybe we do one more term,” Trump said. “We’re entitled to it, cos they cheated like hell in the second one.”

Trump lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden.

During the same speech, Trump also floated another controversial idea: making “loving America” a requirement to vote. The comment added another jolt to an already dramatic political backdrop.

Trump also praised Texas congressman Tony Gonzales during the rally. Some in the crowd booed.

Gonzales has faced calls — including from fellow Republicans — to resign following reports of an alleged affair with an aide who later died after setting herself on fire.

Elsewhere in Washington, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was reportedly clashing with major artificial intelligence companies. The Pentagon had been considering a contract with Anthropic, creator of the Claude chatbot.

But Anthropic refused to remove safety guardrails preventing its AI from being used for autonomous weapons or mass surveillance of Americans. The standoff reportedly led Hegseth to threaten labeling the firm a “supply chain risk.”

Instead, the Pentagon moved toward a deal with OpenAI, the developer behind ChatGPT.

Meanwhile, tensions linked to the Iran strikes continued to ripple internationally. After Iran vowed retaliation, journalists from CNN broadcasting from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates were forced to evacuate their studio and head to a bunker as alarms sounded.

With geopolitical tensions rising abroad and political drama intensifying at home, the fallout from Trump’s decisions could continue to dominate headlines for weeks to come.

Key Takeaways

• Trump allies reportedly drafted an emergency plan that could reshape U.S. election rules.

• The president suggested he may be “entitled” to another term despite losing in 2020.

• Iran strike fallout forced CNN’s Abu Dhabi team into a bunker amid retaliation fears.

Donald Trump's unhinged moments you might have missed while we all watched him bomb Iran