GOP holds with Trump on Iran war, but cracks emerge as deadline nears

2026-04-15T14:54:03-04:00 / Fox News

Democrats vow to force a debate and vote every week until the war ends or Republicans ‘do their constitutional duty’

By Alex Miller Fox News

Published April 15, 2026 2:54pm EDT

Chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst and senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich report on the U.S. naval blockade entering its third day in the Strait of Hormuz, halting economic trade into and out of Iran by sea. President Donald Trump believes the conflict is ‘close to over’ and hints at new talks, despite a White House statement denying a formal ceasefire extension.

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Republicans aren’t ready to jump ship against President Donald Trump’s Iran war, as evidenced by another failed attempt to handcuff his war powers in the Middle East, but they also aren’t lining up to support a prolonged conflict.

Senate Republicans blocked another war powers resolution from Senate Democrats for a fourth time on Tuesday as Operation Epic Fury entered its 46th day. It comes as a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. is nearing its end, and talks toward a broader peace agreement remain tenuous.

Democrats initially started their war powers strategy to compel Secretary of State Marco Rubio and War Secretary Pete Hegseth to testify publicly on the administration’s rationale behind the conflict. They argued that Iran posed no imminent threat, making the war unconstitutional without congressional approval under the War Powers Resolution.

ROGUE DEM BUCKS PARTY ON TRUMP WAR POWERS, CALLS IRAN ‘47-YEAR-OLD WAR CRIME’

President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media outside the Oval Office of the White House on Monday, April 13, 2026.(Salwan Georges/Bloomberg)

Now, they’ve loaded up six new resolutions to continue that push.

“We’re going to have a debate and a vote every week in the United States Senate until either this war comes to an end or our Republican colleagues decide to do their constitutional duty,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said.

Most Republicans, for now, aren’t breaking with the president. But a 60-day deadline that will require either Congress to weigh in or Trump to cease hostilities is fast approaching, and it’s raising questions among some in the GOP.

Under the War Powers Resolution, Trump has 60 days until Congress is required to weigh in and either authorize or disapprove of the war. If the latter, the administration has 30 days to draw down forces in Iran.

SCHUMER BLASTS TRUMP’S IRAN WAR AS FAILURE, MOVES TO REIN IN HIS WAR POWERS AMID CEASEFIRE

Sen. Lisa Murkowski speaks to members of the media outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 3, 2025.(Graeme Sloan/Getty Images)

“The president needs to come to Congress in the absence of some imminent threat to the country or an attack on the country, to seek an authorization,” Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said. “Otherwise, it’s illegal to make war as he’s doing.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who has bucked Trump before on Venezuela but toed the party line on Iran, is drafting an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) on the war in Iran, describing the effort in an interview with The New York Times as a way to put parameters around Operation Epic Fury.

When asked by Fox News Digital if she was still working on the AUMF, she said, “Uh huh, I’m working on so much.”

Whether Republicans will support the administration and authorize the war remains an open question. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has sided with Senate Democrats on each effort to handcuff Trump’s war powers, wouldn’t say how he’d vote on a potential AUMF.

TOP GOP HAWK GRAHAM WARNS IRAN DEAL HAS ‘TROUBLING ASPECTS’ AS CEASEFIRE BEGINS

“The president needs to come to Congress in the absence of some imminent threat to the country or an attack on the country, to seek an authorization,” Sen. Adam Schiff said.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc/Getty Images)

“I’m not for the war in Iran, I think it’s a war of choice but not my choice,” he said.

Others see an AUMF as a potentially useful tool, if successful, for Trump and his efforts in the Middle East.

“I think maybe an AUMF could be an advantage for the president, to say, even Congress is here for the long time, removing the political calculation that maybe the president doesn’t have Congress’ support,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said.

Still, the economic toll at the pump and on goods is making Republicans’ constituents feel the immediate pain of the conflict.

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., acknowledged the crunch that the war was having on the cost of fertilizer in his agriculture-heavy state, but he questioned the authority of the War Powers Resolution.

“If you accept the war powers as being constitutional, it would be the threshold under which that law would apply,” Thune said. “But I think, you know, at least right now, the steps that have been taken so far I think have been very effective and successful. But we do, they need a plan out, how to wind this down, how to get an outcome.”

Democrats still argue that the war was illegal to begin with and have no plans of letting up on their war powers push, even as the deadline nears.

“If the president has a plan, he can come to Congress and ask for authorization, and we can have the debate we should have had beforehand,” Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said.

Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.

Allbirds says it’s ditching footwear and pivoting to become an AI company. Its stock just jumped 600%.

April 15, 2026 / 1:50 PM EDT / CBS News

Allbirds is trading in sneakers for servers, selling its footwear brand as it races to reinvent itself as an AI company in a move that sent its stock soaring 600%.

The eco-friendly shoe company announced Wednesday that it is transitioning into an AI business, which it plans to name “NewBird AI.” Allbirds said it will focus on “AI compute infrastructure,” with a long-term goal of offering a fully integrated cloud computing model. The company said it has reached a $50 million agreement with an institutional investor to make the change.

Allbirds, known for its minimalist wool sneakers, will sell its footwear assets to American Exchange Group, which owns more than 30 brands across fashion, jewelry, footwear and personal care. Investors cheered the move, with its outsized gains reminiscent of the dot-com boom of the late 1990s, when companies’ stocks soared after they announced they were switching to an online model.

GlobalData retail analyst Neil Saunders said Allbirds is using the shell of the former business to generate capital and transform itself into a new AI-focused venture.

“That is not a bad thing as it could provide a new lease of life for investors and some employees,” he told CBS News in an email. “There is demand for AI compute capacity, but quite what expertise the so-called NewBird AI has in the space and how it intends to capture market share remain unclear.”

The company’s stock jumped $14.86, or 597%, to $17.35 in early afternoon trading.

The San Francisco-based company is entering the AI race at a time when the technology is delivering huge financial returns for investors. Many think the optimism is overstated, citing concerns that the market could be in an AI bubble.

Allbirds framed its pivot as a way to help fill a gap in the AI market. “The rise of AI development and adoption has created unprecedented structural demand for specialized, high-performance compute that the market is struggling to meet,” the company said in its statement.

S&P 500 hits record high as investors shrug off Iran war fears

April 15, 2026 / 3:30 PM EDT / CBS News

The S&P 500 surged to a new all-time high on Wednesday, as investors shrug off the hottest inflation in nearly two years and ongoing concerns about the economic impact of the Iran war.

The rally marks a sharp reversal from late March, when the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell into correction territory — a drop of at least 10% from its recent high — after five straight weeks of losses, underscoring how quickly investor sentiment has shifted.

Although the war has taken a toll on the U.S. economy, driving up gasoline prices and boosting inflation, the stock market has shown resilience, fueled by investor optimism that the conflict in the Middle East will eventually blow over.

Don’t mention the war

Despite the U.S. this week imposing a blockade of Iranian ports, the prevailing view on Wall Street is that the conflict is likely to de-escalate, equity analyst Adam Crisafulli, head of Vital Knowledge, told CBS News.

“I feel like it’s becoming the consensus view that this will be resolved, in which case the current impact from it, the economic fallout, will be brief,” he said.

In a Fox News interview on Wednesday, President Trump said the fighting in Iran is “very close to over.”

Scott Wren, senior global market strategist for Wells Fargo Investment Institute, expects the Middle East conflict to continue for weeks, not months. Investors are betting that the Strait of Hormuz, the vital chokepoint for global oil and other commodities, will reopen soon, he added.

Since sinking sharply in March, major U.S. indices have rebounded with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite now on the cusp of closing at record highs. In late-day trading, the S&P 500 was up 55 points, or 0.8%, to 7,022, above its record close of 6,979 on January 27.

Wells Fargo projects the broad-based stock index will reach 7,400 to 7,600 points by year-end, according to Wren.

The Nasdaq, which was up 1.4% in Wednesday trading, was also on track to eclipse its record close of 23,958 in October 2025. The index has seen 10 consecutive days of gains, the longest streak since 2021, Mark Hackett, chief market strategist for Nationwide, said in an email.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 52 points, or 0.1%.

Strong earnings boost sentiment

Strong corporate earnings have also helped buoy investor sentiment.

“Markets have absorbed a surge in oil prices and ongoing geopolitical strain without derailing earnings expectations,” Nigel Green, the CEO of the financial firm the deVere Group, said in an email.

Bank of America on Wednesday reported first-quarter profits of $8.6 billion, up 17% from the year-ago period. Morgan Stanley also delivered better-than-expected quarterly results on Wednesday.

“It’s definitely been encouraging to hear Bank of America, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan, all of them saying that the underlying economy, the economic activity on the consumer and on the corporate front, has been pretty resilient,” Crisafulli said.

Tech heavy hitters, including Alphabet, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft, are scheduled to report their earnings next week, which could prove to be another tailwind for stocks.

In addition to strong corporate earnings, Wren pointed to strong corporate investment in artificial intelligence, larger tax refunds and low unemployment as positive signals for investors.

“You’ve got some really good underlying fundamentals going on,” he said.

Edited by Alain Sherter

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/latest-on-iran-as-trump-insists-war-will-end-soon/

WATCH: Ex-NATO chief draws red line as Trump fumes alliance abandoned US during Iran war

2026-04-15 1:47pm EDT / Fox News

Former NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg acknowledges disagreements inside the alliance while defending Europe’s limited role in the Iran conflict.

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Former NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg signaled clear limits on the alliance’s role in the Iran conflict, saying it should not be pulled into supporting U.S. military operations even as President Donald Trump ramps up pressure on European allies — exposing a growing divide over what NATO is meant to do.

“NATO is a defensive alliance,” Stoltenberg, now Norway’s finance minister, told Fox News Digital in an interview Wednesday. “The strikes or the war against Iran were never an attempt to make that into a NATO operation.”

Stoltenberg framed the disagreement not over whether Iran poses a threat, but over how to confront it, with European governments favoring sanctions and diplomatic pressure over direct military involvement.

“We all agree the Iranian nuclear program is dangerous,” he said. “The question is how we achieve that goal.”

Former NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg signaled clear limits on the alliance’s role in the Iran conflict, even as President Donald Trump ramps up pressure on European allies.(Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

NO RETREAT AT HORMUZ — IRAN MUST NOT CONTROL THE WORLD’S ENERGY LIFELINE

The divide reflects a deeper mismatch between Washington and its allies: Trump has treated the conflict as a test of NATO support — urging countries that benefit from the Strait of Hormuz to help secure it militarily — while European governments have largely rejected that approach, arguing the war falls outside the alliance’s mandate.

Trump has sharply criticized NATO allies for refusing to back U.S. operations tied to the conflict, at times questioning the alliance’s value and warning it had failed a key test as tensions escalated in the Strait of Hormuz.

“NATO wasn’t there for us, and they won’t be there for us in the future,” Trump said Wednesday on Truth Social.

The president has alternated between pressuring allies to step up and downplaying their importance, at one point calling NATO’s response a “very foolish mistake” while also insisting the United States “doesn’t need any help.”

Major European powers have resisted Trump’s push to provide military support.

“The feeling is, this is not Europe’s war,” European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told Reuters in an interview published March 17.

Former NATO Secretary-General and current Norwegian finance minister Jens Stoltenberg said the Iran war was not a matter for NATO to provide support.(Fox News Digital)

NATO CHIEF SIGNALS ALLIES MAY ACT ON HORMUZ, WARNS OF ‘UNHEALTHY CODEPENDENCE’ ON US

Spain blocked U.S. aircraft involved in the Iran conflict from using its airspace and denied access to key bases at Rota and Morón, forcing American forces to reroute missions. France has provided limited logistical support but restricted certain overflight requests tied to military operations, reviewing them on a case-by-case basis.

Stoltenberg pushed back on the idea that Europe has broadly abandoned the United States, arguing most allies have still provided logistical support behind the scenes.

“The majority of European allies have made sure that their bases and infrastructure were available for the United States,” he said. “There are some exceptions, but most have contributed.”

Countries like the United Kingdom and Romania have allowed U.S. forces to use bases for refueling, surveillance and defensive operations even as they declined direct combat roles.

The tension underscores a broader split inside the alliance: Trump has framed the Iran conflict as a test of NATO support, while NATO leadership has drawn a clear distinction between formal obligations and political expectations, maintaining the war falls outside the alliance’s core mission.

“President Trump has made his disappointment with the United Kingdom and other NATO allies clear, and as the President emphasized, ‘the United States will remember,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital.

Asked whether he would pull the U.S. out of NATO, Trump said the move was “beyond reconsideration” in an interview with The Telegraph on April 1.

The Iran conflict began in late February after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets triggered retaliation from Tehran, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping lane that carries roughly a fifth of the world’s energy supply. The U.S. has since launched airstrikes and imposed a naval blockade aimed at increasing pressure to reopen the strait.

The Iran conflict began in late February after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets triggered retaliation from Tehran, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.(Reuters/Stringer)

The economic fallout from the conflict is also shaping how European countries view the war and their role in it.

European natural gas prices surged — jumping around 50% early in the conflict and, at times, nearly doubling as LNG supply disruptions intensified.

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For Norway, however, the impact is more mixed. As one of Europe’s largest oil and gas exporters, the country stands to benefit from higher prices even as broader economic instability creates risks at home.

“There are two effects,” Stoltenberg said. “When prices are going up, our oil and gas revenues will increase. But at the same time … when inflation increases and economic growth slows, it will affect our economy.”

White House offers no hint of Iran war cost as it seeks military funding surge

2026-04-15 19:42:37 UTC / Reuters

By Nolan D. McCaskill and David Morgan

April 15, 2026 7:42 PM UTC Updated 18 mins ago

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[1/2]Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought appears before House Budget Committee hearing on the Trump administration’s 2027 budget request, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 15, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein Purchase Licensing Rights

• Summary

• Lawmakers from both parties criticize Pentagon’s lack of audit
• Vought says social program cuts target fraud
• Trump budget faces partisan hurdles in Congress

WASHINGTON, April 15 (Reuters) – White House budget director Russell Vought said on Wednesday he could not estimate the cost of the Iran war, as he defended President ​Donald Trump’s request for a massive $1.5 trillion annual military budget against bipartisan criticism from U.S. lawmakers who cited the Pentagon’s historic lack ‌of financial accountability.

“We’re not ready to come to you with a request. We’re still working on it. We’re working through to figure out what’s needed,” Vought told a hearing of the House of Representatives Budget Committee. “I don’t have a ballpark.”

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The cost of the war with Iran, which Trump began alongside Israel on February 28, has remained an open question on Capitol ​Hill. An initial $200 billion request for additional funding for the war met with stiff opposition in Congress last month.

Vought appeared before the panel to ​discuss Trump’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2027, with its $500 billion increase in military spending and 10% reduction for non-defense programs.

The ⁠request is intended to reflect Republican priorities heading into the November midterm elections, in which Trump’s Republicans hope to retain control over the House of Representatives ​and the Senate but face growing public concern about the cost of living, energy prices and the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

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‘NEVER PASSED AN AUDIT’

Democrats took issue with Vought’s ​assertions that healthcare, education and low-income energy assistance programs were marred by fraud.

“I’m so glad you asked about fraud, because you are coming back to ask for a $1.5 trillion budget for the Department of Defense,” Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington state told the budget director. “The Department of Defense is the only federal agency that has never passed an audit … But ​you’re not going after any of that.”

Vought said the administration is pursuing “inefficiencies” at the Pentagon.

“I don’t think you’re doing enough,” said Republican Representative Glenn Grothman, who ​called for a Pentagon audit to be completed before Congress votes on defense spending.

“There is so much arrogance in that agency,” added Grothman, of Wisconsin. “They just say we don’t have ‌to do ⁠it on audit. We’re so damn important. We don’t care what Congress thinks.”

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Vought promoted Trump’s budget proposal for the fiscal year beginning October 1 as aimed at reducing spending. He promoted Trump’s 2025 tax-cut-and-spending package known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” as an initiative that achieved $2 trillion in mandatory savings through cuts to Medicaid health coverage and food assistance to low-income families.

That bill, which extended 2017 tax cuts, will add $4.7 trillion to U.S. deficits over the next decade, while reduced ​immigration will add another $500 billion, according to ​the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

STRAIGHT ⁠FACE

Representative Brendan Boyle of Pennsylvania, the budget panel’s top Democrat, pointed to forecasts saying the legislation’s healthcare cuts would mean the loss of health coverage for more than 15 million people. Vought said they were able-bodied adults, people in the country ​illegally or ineligible for benefits.

“You’re going to sit here with a straight face and say they’re all illegals? They ​were all defrauding ⁠the system? That’s actually your position?” Boyle asked.

“Yes,” Vought replied.

Democratic Representative Scott Peters of California pointed out to Vought that the watchdog Government Accountability Office has found the administration illegally withheld billions of dollars allocated for National Institutes of Health grants, public schools and Head Start early education programs nationwide.

“Do you dispute GAO’s findings?” Peters asked.

“Yes. GAO ⁠is typically ​wrong. They’re very partisan,” Vought replied.

To become law, Trump’s proposed budget needs approval from Congress ​at a time when Republicans are trying to overcome Democratic opposition to funding for Trump’s immigration crackdown, just months after the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Democrats have already declared the budget proposal dead ​on arrival, leaving government funding to closed-door negotiations between appropriators.

Reporting by Nolan D. McCaskill and David Morgan; writing by David Morgan; editing by Scott Malone, Rod Nickel

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Live Nation and Ticketmaster illegally monopolized big concert venues, jury rules

April 15, 2026 / 3:26 PM EDT / CBS News

A New York jury ruled on Wednesday that Live Nation operated as an illegal monopoly, handing dozens of states an important legal win against the ticketing giant.

Live Nation reached a deal with the Department of Justice last month to pay $280 million to states that sued the company over its practices.

However, a contingent of states vowed to move forward with litigation in what Attorney General Letitia James of New York said was an effort to “restore fair competition to the live entertainment industry.”

The verdict came after less than a week of deliberations in a federal courtroom in New York.

Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

—This is a developing story and will be updated

Noncitizen charged with voting in Minnesota 2024 election after admitting ‘mistake’ to investigators

2026-04-15 12:40:07 EDT / Fox News

The charges come as Republicans push voter ID legislation against Democratic pushback that noncitizen voting is rare

By Andrew Mark Miller , Kiera McDonald Fox News

Published April 15, 2026 12:40pm EDT

A man in Minnesota is facing felony charges after being accused of registering to vote and then voting in the 2024 election despite not being a citizen of the United States.

Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari, 39, was charged with perjury and a voting violation on Monday after authorities say they obtained records showing he submitted a ballot in the 2024 election after registering to vote in 2023, Fox 9 Minneapolis reported.

Authorities say that Chaudhari denied he voted at first when interviewed but later claimed he “made a mistake” and admitted to voting while also telling investigators he is not a U.S. citizen.

FLORIDA, MISSISSIPPI JOIN WAVE OF STATES TIGHTENING VOTER CITIZENSHIP RULES

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz testifies during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing in the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2026, in Washington, D.C.(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Chaudhari, according to investigators, received a voter registration notice from the state of Minnesota in a move that was likely triggered in the system after he obtained his driver’s license. Chaudhari is said to have told authorities that he didn’t learn he should not have voted until his lawyer informed him during his green card process.

“Only U.S. Citizens are eligible to vote in Minnesota,” the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State told Fox News Digital, adding that ineligible voting is “extremely rare.”

“When an individual completes a voter registration application, they attest that they meet all eligibility requirements, including that they are a U.S. citizen,” the office said. “Before casting a ballot, one must again swear to their eligibility before they are allowed to vote. If a noncitizen attempts to vote in an election, they will be caught and held to account. Penalties for voting while ineligible may include deportation, a permanent bar on future citizenship, a fine of up to $10,000, and up to five years in prison.”

HOUSE OVERSIGHT PROBE PUTS MINNESOTA ELECTIONS UNDER SCRUTINY OVER NONCITIZEN VOTING CONCERNS

A polling place in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on March 3, 2020.(Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

News of the charges come as Republicans continue to push voter ID legislation, known as the SAVE America Act, against fierce pushback from Democrats who make the argument that voter fraud and non-citizens voting are rare.

Conservatives on social media were quick to point the finger at Democrats in response to Chaudhari’s charges.

“That thing that never ever happens happened again,” Center of the American Experiment policy fellow Bill Glahn sarcastically posted on X.

MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL SPARKS PUSH TO SCRUTINIZE BILLIONS IN BIDEN-ERA ENERGY GRANTS

People rally in support of the SAVE Act at Upper Senate Park in Washington, D.C.(Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

State Rep. Pam Altendorf, a Republican, called out Minnesota Democrats in a post on X for three specific actions that she said have weakened election safeguards and invited scrutiny: loosening election laws in 2023 and 2024, issuing driver’s licenses to noncitizens, and creating a 46-day voting season during which the state mass-mailed voter registration cards and absentee ballots.

“Welcome to Tim Walz’s Minnesota,” Townhall columnist Dustin Grage posted on X.

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Glahn previously spoke to Fox News Digital about his concerns over the lack of safeguards in Minnesota’s voting system, including registered voters being able to “vouch” for up to eight other voters’ residency who want to sign up for same-day voter registration without an ID.

Fox News Digital reached out to Gov. Tim Walz’s office.

Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to AndrewMark.Miller@Fox.com.

5 takeaways from recent Iran polls that look increasingly grim for Trump

2026-04-15T17:07:20.798Z / CNN

Analysis by

Aaron Blake

3 hr ago

PUBLISHED Apr 15, 2026, 1:07 PM ET

Donald Trump The Middle East Election polls National security

See all topics

President Donald Trump attends a UFC event in Miami, Florida, on April 11.

Julia Demaree Nikhinson/Pool/Getty Images

President Donald Trump in a new interview airing Wednesday said the Iran war was “very close to over.” (Take that for what it’s worth, though, since it’s been five weeks since he said it was “very complete”.)

He also made arguably his most extensive case to date that the war has been worth the spike in energy prices and the stock market volatility. He said it was all about stopping Iran from ever getting a nuclear weapon.

“To stop that, it was certainly worthwhile,” Trump told Fox Business Network, arguing oil prices haven’t risen as much as he thought they might.

“I think we’re doing very well,” he added. “And maybe people assume we’re going to win this thing pretty soon. We’ve beaten them militarily, totally.”

But this is a rosy view of the situation that doesn’t match Americans’ perceptions.

In fact, the war is getting more unpopular over time. And as we’ve gotten more extensive polling, we learning more about why that is.

Here are a few key points on that front.

Americans don’t see objectives being met

While Trump has declared the war is close to being over and a success, Americans don’t see it that way. And they certainly don’t see it as a strategic success.

A CBS News-YouGov poll over the weekend showed 36% said the military operations were successful. Another 31% said it was too soon to say, while 33% said they were not successful.

But Americans were even less sold on the strategic side of things. Just 25% said the war was a strategic success — far less than the 42% who deemed it a failure.

And when it comes to key objectives, Americans overwhelmingly don’t see them being met:

• Just 7% said Iran’s leaders are more pro-US now (despite Trump claiming that Iran has a “new regime” that is “pretty reasonable.”)
• Just 8% said the war has prevented Tehran from threatening other countries (despite Trump saying the war “stopped” Iran from taking over or taking out the Middle East.)
• And just 11% said it has permanently stopped Iran’s nuclear program (despite Trump saying that’s the No. 1 goal and having said his June strikes in Iran “obliterated” its nuclear facilities.)

Even Trump might concede that last one is a work in progress. But the other key point is that Americans just don’t think the war is going to accomplish it.

In fact, they don’t even think the war has been a net positive on that front.

A recent Pew Research Center poll showed only 27% of Americans said the war would ultimately make Iran’s development of a nuke “less likely.” That’s the same as the 27% who viewed it as “more likely.” (Another 4 in 10 were neutral.)

They don’t see the benefits

Trump’s pitch, as he laid it out in the Fox Business interview, was that today’s costs will be worth the long-term benefits.

But Americans aren’t just worried about the short-term economic costs; they also don’t see the long-term security payoff.

A new Ipsos poll this week showed 51% said the benefits of the war wouldn’t be worth the costs, compared to just 24% who said they would. (The rest were neutral.)

It also asked whether the war would make US national security better or worse “over the long run.” Just 26% said it would improve national security, while 41% said it would actually make it worse.

And a University of Massachusetts Amherst poll showed similar skepticism.

Only about 3 in 10 Americans said the war would make the world “more stable,” compared to half who disagreed.

Republicans are not enthusiastic

Despite self-identified MAGA supporters backing this war, evidence is building that Trump’s base, defined more broadly, is quite skeptical.

In many polls, 20% or 25% of Republicans and Trump voters generally disapprove of Trump’s handling of the war. But there’s also the mushy middle. These people don’t outright oppose the war, but don’t really see the point, either.

The Ipsos poll showed just 57% of Republicans thought the war would improve US national security over the long run, and just 55% said the cost-benefit analysis would be worth it.

Similarly, the CBS poll showed just 56% of Republicans said the war has been successful in terms of strategic interests.

In both cases, most of the rest chose a middle-ground option. A huge chunk of Trump’s base is clearly not bought in.

Faith in Trump is dropping

Even as Trump has leaned increasingly into a more militaristic and interventionist foreign policy, Americans have less confidence in him to carry that out.

The Pew poll features some pretty staggering charts and numbers:

• The percentage of Americans who are not confident that Trump will make good decisions on Iran has increased from 50% during the 2024 campaign to 56% after the June strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities to 64% in March.
• We’ve seen similar increases when it comes to the war in Ukraine and dealing with China.
• Only 66% of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents are at least “somewhat” confident in Trump’s handling of Iran.

Similarly, the CBS poll showed just 23% of Americans had “a lot” of confidence in Trump to make the right decisions about Iran. Another 18% had “some,” while about 6 in 10 had “not much” or “none.”

The war has exacerbated Trump’s inflation problem

Perhaps most politically troubling for Trump and the GOP ahead of the midterms is inflation, which just jumped amid the oil shock.

Americans were already down on Trump on that issue — and that’s worsened for him since the war started. The percentage of Americans who disapprove of his handling of inflation has been at 67%, 68%, 69% and 71% in recent polls.

It’s pretty rare that 7 in 10 Americans agree on anything, but Trump’s failure on inflation is now one of them.

And it appears to be bleeding into the president’s overall number on the economy. A CNN poll two weeks ago showed his approval rating on that issue dropping to 31% — lower than it ever was for either himself or Joe Biden.

Trump reveals he has multi-pick SCOTUS plan ready as retirement speculation heats up

2026-04-15 14:09 EDT / Fox News

Speculation about the 76-year-old justice’s retirement has grown amid concerns about the GOP Senate majority before midterms

By Ashley Oliver Fox News

Published April 15, 2026 2:09pm EDT

President Donald Trump said he is “prepared” to appoint up to three Supreme Court justices if vacancies arise, signaling he is ready to further reshape the high court as speculation swirls around a potential retirement from Justice Samuel Alito.

Trump told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo that Alito, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, could retire and that he has a shortlist of nominees in mind, though he did not mention any names.

The remarks sharpen the stakes around any potential vacancy, as Trump signaled he is ready to seize the opportunity to deepen the court’s conservative majority. With retirement speculation around Alito intensifying and Republicans eyeing the window before the 2026 midterms, the prospect of an opening is already putting fresh focus on succession politics.

“In theory, it’s two — you just read the statistics — it could be two, could be three, could be one,” Trump said. “I don’t know. I’m prepared to do it. But when you mention Alito, he is a great justice.”

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U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito testifies about the court’s budget during a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee’s Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee March 7, 2019, in Washington, D.C.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Rumors about Alito, 76, potentially retiring have grown because of his age, his two-decade tenure on the bench and speculation that he may want to make sure a conservative successor is confirmed by the current Republican-led Senate, especially before the upcoming midterm elections in which Republicans are at risk of losing or seeing a diminished majority.

The rumors were further fueled when it was revealed Alito was treated last month for dehydration after becoming ill at a Federalist Society dinner. A Supreme Court spokesperson clarified at the time that the justice was “thoroughly checked” and returned to the bench the following Monday.

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Justice Clarence Thomas, an appointee of President George H.W. Bush, has drawn less retirement speculation despite being one year older than Alito at 77 and his own lengthy tenure. Thomas has been a conservative fixture on the court for more than three decades and holds a record as the second-longest serving justice in history.

President Donald Trump and Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas, center, and Samuel Alito, right.(Chip Somodevilla/AFP/Getty Images)

Trump noted what he viewed as an upside to replacing Alito, who sides with him on nearly every high-profile court case, but said it would come at a cost.

“Justice Alito is an unbelievable justice, and a brilliant justice, and he gets the country,” Trump said. “He does what’s right for the country. It’s the law, and he goes by it as much as anybody, but he gets to the point. That’s good for our country. So … one way you should be, ‘Oh, I’m thrilled,’ but he’s so good.”

While many prominent conservative judges, from appellate court Judge James Ho to Florida-based federal Judge Aileen Cannon, have been floated as options in legal circles, Trump has not publicly revealed any of his preferences at this stage.

Senate Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told reporters this week he would recommend Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, or Mike Lee, R-Utah, as top candidates if Alito were to retire. Grassley emphasized that he hoped Alito would not step down but said his committee is “fully prepared” to process a nominee before the upcoming midterm elections if needed.

Cruz said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital that having his name in the mix was a “high honor” but that he did not want the job.

“The reason I’ve said no is that a principled federal judge stays out of policy fights and stays out of political fights. … But I don’t want to stay out of policy fights. I don’t want to stay out of political fights,” Cruz said. “I want to be right in the middle of them.”

Lee’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson speaks to the 2025 Supreme Court Fellows Program Feb. 13, 2025, at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.(Jacquelyn Martin/Pool/AFP)

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No president since Ronald Reagan has influenced the Supreme Court more than Trump, who secured three appointments during his first term, underscoring how Trump has shaped the 6-3 ideological divide on the court in favor of conservatives.

George H.W. Bush appointed two, as did George W. Bush and former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Former President Joe Biden appointed one, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Ashley Oliver is a reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business, covering the Justice Department and legal affairs. Email story tips to ashley.oliver@fox.com.

House Democrats file articles of impeachment against Hegseth

April 15, 2026 / 12:58 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — House Democrats unveiled articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, making serious allegations about his handling of the war in Iran and his leadership more broadly.

The resolution, led by Rep. Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, lists six impeachment articles:

• Unauthorized war against Iran and reckless endangerment of U.S. service members;
• Violations of the law of armed conflict and targeting of civilians;
• Negligence and reckless handling of sensitive military information;
• Obstruction of congressional oversight;
• Abuse of power and politicization of the armed forces;
• Conduct bringing disrepute upon the U.S. and its armed forces.

The impeachment push almost certainly won’t go anywhere in the House this year, since Republicans have a narrow majority. But its Democratic sponsors could renew their efforts if the party takes control of the chamber following the midterm elections.

The seven-page impeachment resolution claims Hegseth engaged in high crimes and misdemeanors, the constitutional basis for impeachment. It says he has “demonstrated a willful disregard for the Constitution, abused the powers of his office, and acted in a manner grossly incompatible with the rule of law.”

Axios first reported on the resolution.

The resolution also accuses Hegseth of failing to prevent the use of military force “in a manner inconsistent with the law of armed conflict,” pointing to civilian casualties, including the Feb. 28 bombing of a girls’ school in Iran that killed 168 people. A preliminary U.S. assessment suggested that the United States was “likely” responsible for the attack but did not intentionally target the school and may have hit it in error.

The impeachment resolution argues that Hegseth has engaged in conduct “that raises serious concerns of violations of the Geneva Conventions,” along with other binding U.S. obligations, citing his comments about giving “no quarter, no mercy for our enemies.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attends an all-Congress briefing on Iran at the U.S. Capitol on March 3, 2026. Graeme Sloan / Bloomberg via Getty Images

The impeachment articles cite Hegseth’s sharing of details about U.S. military operations in Yemen in a private Signal group chat last year, saying he has “demonstrated gross negligence in the handling of sensitive and classified military information.” The resolution claims he has engaged in efforts to obstruct constitutional oversight by withholding information on the Venezuela and Iran operations. And it claims he has “shaken public confidence in the integrity and ability of the Department of Defense” in part by undermining the U.S. commitment to NATO.

Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said the impeachment effort represents “just another Democrat trying to make headlines as the Department of War decisively and overwhelmingly achieved the Presidents’ objectives in Iran.”

“Secretary Hegseth will continue to protect the homeland and project peace through strength,” Wilson said in a statement. “This is just another charade in an attempt to distract the American people from the major successes we have had here at the Department of War.”

The resolution is co-sponsored by a number of Democrats, including Reps. Sarah McBride of Delaware, Lauren Underwood of Illinois, Al Green of Texas, Steve Cohen of Tennessee, Jasmine Crockett of Texas, Nikema Williams of Georgia, Dina Titus of Nevada, Dave Min of California, Shri Thanedar of Michigan, Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, Mike Quigley of Illinois and Brittany Pettersen of Colorado.

Ansari teased the plan last week amid President Trump’s increasing threats to target Iranian infrastructure if a deal was not reached to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Ansari, the first Iranian-American Democrat elected to Congress, said in a post on X that the “rhetoric has crossed every line,” claiming “Hegseth is complicit.”

“I’ve called for the 25th Amendment and am introducing Articles of Impeachment against Hegseth,” Ansari added.

Impeachment is the first step in the process of removing executive and judicial branch officials from office. The House is responsible for approving impeachment articles, which are akin to charges in an indictment. The Senate is tasked with holding a trial to determine whether the accused is guilty and should be removed from office.

Only two Cabinet officials have ever been impeached: Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024. Belknap was ultimately acquitted. In Mayorkas’ case, the Senate’s Democratic majority dispensed with the charges shortly after the trial began.