Trump news at a glance: Rubio and his boss can’t seem to agree on why US attacked Iran | Trump administration
Donald Trump tried Tuesday to counter a simmering anti-Israel backlash in Congress and among his own Maga supporters by denying suggestions that he was driven to attack Iran because Israel had already decided to do so.
Amid growing criticism from opponents and allies, Trump refuted claims that he struck Iran only because Israel forced his hand, a suspicion fueled by comments from Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Asked if Israel had pressured him into taking military action, Trump told reporters: “No. I might have forced their hand. We were in negotiations with these crazy people, and my view was that they were going to attack first. They were going to attack. If we didn’t, they were going to attack first. That was close to my heart.”
Senate Democrats reacted with fury after Rubio suggested during a visit to the Capitol that Saturday’s strikes were motivated by the need to preempt Iranian retaliation against U.S. interests in response to Israeli attacks that Washington knew were coming.
Trump provided smooth reasoning for why he ordered attacks last Saturday, in concert with Israeli strikes, one of which killed Iran’s most powerful figure, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
He has also sent mixed signals about his willingness to deploy U.S. forces on the ground, a move that is sure to fuel further domestic criticism.
Trump denies Israel forced US to intervene in Iran strikes
Trump provided smooth reasoning for why he ordered attacks last Saturday, in concert with Israeli strikes, one of which killed Iran’s most powerful figure, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He has also sent mixed signals about his willingness to deploy U.S. forces on the ground, a move that is sure to fuel further domestic criticism.
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US embassy in Riyadh hit by Iranian drones as Israeli troops enter southern Lebanon
Iranian drones struck the US embassy in Riyadh as Tehran continued to launch waves of retaliatory strikes in the Gulf and Israel, while Israeli soldiers began operating in southern Lebanon on the fourth day of an increasingly regional war in the Middle East.
The drone attack on the US embassy in Riyadh caused a minor fire, prompting the diplomatic mission to tell Americans to distance themselves from the compound. The attack followed an earlier Iranian drone strike on the US embassy in Kuwait, as Iran continued to target US bases, installations and personnel in the Gulf Arab states.
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US troops were told war with Iran ‘was part of God’s divine plan,’ watchdog says
U.S. military commanders have invoked extremist Christian rhetoric about the biblical “end times” to justify to their troops their involvement in the Iran war, according to complaints filed with a watchdog group. In a complaint filed with the Military Foundation for Religious Freedom, seen by the Guardian, the plaintiff said their commander “urged us to tell our troops that this was all ‘part of God’s divine plan’ and he specifically referenced numerous quotes from the Book of Revelation referring to Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus Christ.”
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Data center policy showdown at heart of North Carolina primary
North Carolina’s congressional primary Tuesday is an early test of data center politics — a fight that is increasingly shaping elections nationwide.
In Durham Region’s Fourth District, Assemblywoman Valerie Foushee is seeking her third term against progressive challenger Nida Allam, a Durham County commissioner she defeated in 2022.
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Texas votes in high-stakes primaries to test its appetite for change under Trump
The first votes of the 2026 midterm cycle will take place Tuesday, with two high-stakes U.S. Senate primaries in Texas that will test both parties’ appetite for political change in the Trump era.
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Trump blames Starmer for UK’s refusal to support Iran strikes
Donald Trump has again criticized Keir Starmer for the UK’s refusal to assist in offensive strikes against Iran, saying “the relationship is obviously not what it used to be”.
The British prime minister issued his strongest rebuke of Trump’s action in Iran, saying the UK did not believe in “regime change from the sky” and defending his decision not to authorize the use of British bases to carry out the strikes.
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What else happened today:
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Nancy Mace, Republican Representative, under investigation by the House Ethics Committee following allegations that she may have improperly claimed more than $9,000 in reimbursements intended to subsidize members of Congress’ housing costs.
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Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday would not walk back his statements calling the two U.S. citizens killed by immigration officials in Minneapolis earlier this year “domestic terrorists.”while also claiming that officers are not meeting arrest quotas.
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Howard Lutnick, Donald Trump’s Commerce Secretary, agreed to voluntarily appear before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal network, the president of the commission announced Tuesday.
OpenAI modifies its hastily concluded deal to supply artificial intelligence to the US Department of War (DoW) after the chief executive of ChatGPT owner admitted it seemed “opportunistic and sloppy”. -
The US Department of Justice abruptly changed course on Tuesday and decided he would defend executive orders issued by Donald Trump to try to penalize law firms that represented clients or causes the president didn’t like.
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A Minnesota state attorney announced an investigation Monday that could lead to charges against federal agents.including Greg Bovino, for misconduct during an immigration enforcement operation.
A catch-up? Here’s what happened Monday March 2.
