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Mar 22, 2026 - World

Political analysts were floored on Sunday after Vice President JD Vance seemed to struggle selling President Donald Trump's war in Iran during a recent public appearance. Tommy Vietor and Ben Rhodes, co-hosts of "Pod Save the World," said during a new episode that Vance's recent appearance showed he is trying to "distance himself" from Trump's war, but not enough to anger the president. This stance seems to comport with Vance's rhetoric on the campaign trail, where he made it clear that he would rather take a restrained approach to foreign policy, including backing away from supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. But Vance's hesitancy to criticize Trump publicly suggests that the war in Iran has put the Vice President in a bit of a pinch. "He's trying so hard to signal that he wasn't all in on this war. But also, as people have briefed, he told Trump to go big, and he owns everything they're doing," Vietor said. "It's not working, buddy."Rhodes, a former national security advisor in the Obama White House, added that Vance's shifting stance on the war in Iran shows he's "full of s---." "He owns this, and he's never going to be able to come out and fully-throated say he was wrong because he depends on Donald Trump for his political survival," Rhodes said. "So, you're watching JD Vance's diminution as a political figure in real time because his identity doesn't work without opposition to forever wars. It's central to him in a way ... And so, the air of the JD Vance balloon is rapidly running out."

Mar 22, 2026 - World

Socialist candidate Emmanuel Grégoire has won the Paris mayoral race, succeeding fellow party member Anne Hidalgo as the French capital’s mayor

Mar 22, 2026 - World

Iranian officials remained adamant Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed, despite threats from President Trump that U.S. forces could take out Iran's power plants if the strategic waterway is not opened by Monday.

Mar 22, 2026 - World

Far-right politicians across Europe who enthusiastically embraced Donald Trump following his re-election are now rapidly retreating from the relationship, with the Iran conflict and his demands for NATO intervention serving as the breaking point.According to reporting from the Wall Street Journal's Bertrand Benoit and Max Colchester, tensions have been building over Trump's tariff policies—which were struck down by the Supreme Court in a landmark ruling—but the invasion of Iran and subsequent demands that European nations share the military burden have pushed nationalist-minded European lawmakers to openly reconsider their alignment with the American president.The State Department has actively courted European right-wing parties, channeling grants to think tanks and nongovernmental organizations promoting Trump's "America First" agenda, including policies on free speech and immigration crackdowns. Initially, these parties welcomed the support and association.But as Europe absorbs the consequences of U.S. policy decisions, the political calculus has shifted dramatically. European politicians are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain their public gratitude while advancing their own nationalist agendas.Even longtime Trump confidant Nigel Farage has begun hedging his bets. "Look, he's a friend of mine. I agree with many things that he does. I don't agree with other things that he does," Farage recently admitted—a stark contrast to his previous unqualified support.Public opinion in Europe has turned decisively against Trump. In the U.K., the vast majority of voters identify as "anti-Trump," according to YouGov polling. Only a quarter of British and German voters support Trump's attack on Iran. In France, even right-wing voters hold unfavorable views of the president.This presents a mounting dilemma for MAGA-aligned parties. As Tim Bale, a politics professor at Queen Mary University of London, explained, politicians like Farage who harbor ambitions for higher office must appeal to a much broader electorate—one that largely abhors Trump.Criticism from Trump's European allies intensified around the Greenland episode. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who previously served as a diplomatic bridge between Europe and the U.S., has noticeably cooled her public praise. Her deputy, Matteo Salvini—one of Trump's most vocal Italian supporters—flatly rejected the president's requests for European nations to help police the Strait of Hormuz. "Italy isn't at war with anyone," Salvini declared.French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and her protégé Jordan Bardella have escalated their criticism, condemning Trump's military strikes in Venezuela, though they have remained more cautious regarding the Iran attack, reflecting the party's strong support for Israel.Germany presents the starkest rebuke. Senior Alternative for Germany (AfD) lawmaker Peter Felser stated bluntly: "We cannot be the lap dog of an 'America First' policy if it destroys German jobs. We must remain a sovereign German party, not just the German branch of the MAGA movement."Gerold Otten, an AfD lawmaker and defense expert, characterized Trump's military actions and contempt for international norms as deeply troubling. "You enter very dangerous territory when you say, 'I am above the law,'" Otten warned. "On the global stage, saying 'I'm doing it because I can, because I am powerful'—that leads to the breakdown of civilization, a state where only the law of the jungle remains."

Mar 22, 2026 - World

Early results of Slovenia’s highly contested parliamentary election show governing liberals and opposition right-wing populists neck and neck, heralding a period of political uncertainty in the small European Union country