Hegseth's 'quiet death' strike may constitute a war crime: analysis

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's latest "quiet death" strike may amount to a war crime, according to one analysis.

This week, it was revealed that the U.S. torpedoed an Iranian warship called the "IRIS Dena" off the coast of Sri Lanka while it was returning home from planned military exercises with India. The torpedo killed more than 80 Iranian soldiers. It was the first time in 80 years that the U.S. had sunk an enemy warship in international waters, according to reports, and sparked outrage from Iranian officials like foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, who described it as an "atrocity."

In the wake of the operation, Hegseth described it as "quiet death" during his public remarks on Wednesday, Time Magazine reported.

Mary Trump, a psychologist and author, argued in a new Substack essay that Hegseth's comments revealed the "reckless and deeply troubling mentality guiding the Trump regime’s military decisions."

"Legal experts have noted that sinking a ship in international waters, particularly one reportedly unarmed and returning from a training exercise, could constitute a war crime under international law," she wrote.

"Oil prices are climbing, and the geopolitical stakes are soaring," she continued. "Russia, which does not rely on the Strait of Hormuz, stands to profit from chaos it had no hand in creating. I know it is hard to believe, but once again, Donald did something that benefits Putin. Meanwhile, Ukraine faces another blow: rising energy costs and distracted global attention weaken the support it depends on."

Trump said the attack amounted to "wasted lives and no accountability."

Read the entire essay by clicking here.

Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), a longtime Trump supporter first elected to the Senate in 2015, withdrew his re-election paperwork on Wednesday in an abrupt announcement. His decision came after University of Montana President Seth Bodnar announced an independent Senate bid backed by former Democratic Sen. Jon Tester. Daines endorsed U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme as his successor, who filed for office minutes before Daines' retirement announcement. Trump praised Daines as "exceptional" and threw his complete endorsement behind Alme, calling him Trump 45 and Trump 47's U.S. Attorney. Trump stated that Alme's "highest level of aptitude and talent" persuaded Daines to step aside. CNN's Manu Raju characterized Daines' exit as "abrupt," signaling another GOP lawmaker abandoning his seat amid challenging electoral dynamics in Montana.

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Fans of President Donald Trump's MAGA movement mocked the president on Thursday after he edited one of his latest Truth Social rants.

On Thursday morning, Trump posted five policy items included in the SAVE America Act on Truth Social, which include major changes to the election system and culture war issues like prohibiting transgender athletes from competing against their female athletes and prohibiting "transgender mutilation surgery" for children "without the expressed written consent of the parents."

Trump later edited the post to erase the part about parental consent after several conservatives chimed in to mock the edited post.

"His post transitioned," Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) posted on X.

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene posted several crying laughing emojis on X in response to Trump's new post.

"All out propaganda war. They want to pretend it didn’t happen," self-proclaimed "MAGA realist" Eric Spracklin posted on X.

"Who asked for that language? And who benefits from it?" MAGA fan Ryan Nichols Sr., a pardoned Jan. 6 rioter, posted on x.

An infamous former Republican state lawmaker recently appointed to the North Carolina State Board of Elections is resigning, after it emerged he violated state law to contribute money to political candidates while serving in that role.

According to The Assembly, Robert Rucho "donated to two county sheriffs" since joining NCBSE last year. According to public records, "Rucho wrote a $259 check to Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell in October and a $1,000 check to Catawba County Sheriff Don Brown in January. Brown has since returned the contribution. Both Campbell and Brown are up for reelection this year."

This is against North Carolina law, which says election board members cannot “make a reportable contribution to a candidate for a public office over which the State Board would have jurisdiction or authority.”

Rucho has also faced criticism for social media posts defending his former legislative colleague Phil Berger, one of the most powerful Republicans in the state — which is also a violation of the same law. As of Thursday, Berger trails his primary challenger, Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page, by just two votes, with a recount set to take place.

"Rucho didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. In announcing Rucho’s resignation, neither the State Board of Elections nor the Office of the State Auditor cited a reason," noted The Assembly.

Rucho is most famous in national politics for having helped draw an extreme congressional gerrymander for Republicans in North Carolina, and being named as the principal defendant, then later appellate plaintiff, in the landmark Supreme Court case Rucho v. Common Cause, which ended with the right-wing majority of justices curtailing lower courts' ability to review gerrymandering on partisan grounds.