March 05, 2026
EU Says It Supports Spain Whilst Refusing to Disagree Fully with Trump | DW News
March 04, 2026
March 03, 2026
The Economist: Will the Iran War Spread across the Middle East?
Mar 3, 2026 | The war in Iran is already reverberating across the Middle East.
From surging oil and gas prices to threats against Gulf trade routes and rising regional tensions, the conflict is having far-reaching effects beyond Iran’s borders.
Our editors examine whether the war can be contained, or if the region is heading towards a wider war.
From surging oil and gas prices to threats against Gulf trade routes and rising regional tensions, the conflict is having far-reaching effects beyond Iran’s borders.
Our editors examine whether the war can be contained, or if the region is heading towards a wider war.
Global Markets Tumble After U.S. Warns War Could Last Weeks
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Oil and gas prices surged and stock markets fell, after U.S. and Israeli officials signaled that strikes on Iran would intensify. As the conflict widened, Israel’s military stepped up operations against Iran-backed Hezbollah, which fired rockets into Israel.
Global stock markets tumbled on Tuesday and the price of oil surged, as the widening conflict in the Middle East sent a shudder through the world economy and American and Israeli officials signaled that their bombing campaign against Iran could last weeks.
President Trump was set to meet with Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany in Washington on Tuesday morning, the president’s first meeting with a foreign leader since the war began, and the two were expected to speak with reporters. The meeting was long planned, but is likely to be dominated by discussions of the attacks on Iran, which continued for a fourth day.
With Iran retaliating for the killing of its supreme leader, the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia warned of imminent drone and rocket attacks in Dhahran, the eastern city that is home to Saudi Aramco, the government-controlled oil producer, threatening to put more pressure on global oil supplies. The embassy itself was hit by a drone attack early Tuesday, a day after a drone struck the U.S. embassy in Kuwait, prompting the United States to announce that it was closing both facilities.
Fighting escalated between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military said that it was carrying out additional strikes in Iran, and had targeted weapons storage facilities in Beirut, the Lebanese capital, as Hezbollah said it had fired attack drones at Israel. Israel’s advance in southern Lebanon prompted fears that it could be weighing a wider ground assault similar to the one it launched during its yearlong war with Hezbollah that ended in late 2024. Iran Live Updates » | Aaron Boxerman, Helene Cooper and Yan Zhuang | Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Global stock markets tumbled on Tuesday and the price of oil surged, as the widening conflict in the Middle East sent a shudder through the world economy and American and Israeli officials signaled that their bombing campaign against Iran could last weeks.
President Trump was set to meet with Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany in Washington on Tuesday morning, the president’s first meeting with a foreign leader since the war began, and the two were expected to speak with reporters. The meeting was long planned, but is likely to be dominated by discussions of the attacks on Iran, which continued for a fourth day.
With Iran retaliating for the killing of its supreme leader, the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia warned of imminent drone and rocket attacks in Dhahran, the eastern city that is home to Saudi Aramco, the government-controlled oil producer, threatening to put more pressure on global oil supplies. The embassy itself was hit by a drone attack early Tuesday, a day after a drone struck the U.S. embassy in Kuwait, prompting the United States to announce that it was closing both facilities.
Fighting escalated between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military said that it was carrying out additional strikes in Iran, and had targeted weapons storage facilities in Beirut, the Lebanese capital, as Hezbollah said it had fired attack drones at Israel. Israel’s advance in southern Lebanon prompted fears that it could be weighing a wider ground assault similar to the one it launched during its yearlong war with Hezbollah that ended in late 2024. Iran Live Updates » | Aaron Boxerman, Helene Cooper and Yan Zhuang | Tuesday, March 3, 2026
One of UK's Richest Men Wants German Citizenship over 'Hostility' to Jews
BBC: "Britain is an uncomfortable place for Jews today," Cardiff-born billionaire Sir Michael Moritz has said.
The Welsh investor said Britain was "far more hostile than the US" towards its Jewish community, citing the attack on Manchester's Heaton Park synagogue in 2025.
Sir Michael, who has written about his family's experience of the Nazis, said "antisemitism is always in the air" and there were modern parallels to the persecution they had faced.
He said he was applying for a German passport, which is what he calls an "insurance policy" that would allow him the opportunity to flee the US or the UK in a way that some of his ancestors were unable to escape persecution.
He also argued that the UK was a less attractive place to do business compared with the US and China, and that the growing use of AI could be "deeply disruptive" for white-collar workers.
The 71-year-old, who holds both UK and US passports, is the richest Welshman who has ever lived. with a wealth built on investments in companies like Yahoo and Google that made him billions during the dot-com boom of the early 2000s.
In a memoir called Ausländer – the German word for foreigner or outsider – Sir Michael charts his family's treatment under the Nazis.
His paternal grandparents, Max and Minnie Moritz, were among swathes of relatives killed during the Holocaust.
Using public archives he found that two of his relatives, his great-uncle Oskar Moritz and his cousin Mira Marx, were photographed by the Gestapo as they were forced onto buses that transported them to their deaths.
Sir Michael's parents had escaped Germany and settled in Cardiff, where he attended the now-closed Howardian High School in Penylan. » | Huw Thomas | Wales business correspondent | Monday, March 2, 2026
The Welsh investor said Britain was "far more hostile than the US" towards its Jewish community, citing the attack on Manchester's Heaton Park synagogue in 2025.
Sir Michael, who has written about his family's experience of the Nazis, said "antisemitism is always in the air" and there were modern parallels to the persecution they had faced.
He said he was applying for a German passport, which is what he calls an "insurance policy" that would allow him the opportunity to flee the US or the UK in a way that some of his ancestors were unable to escape persecution.
He also argued that the UK was a less attractive place to do business compared with the US and China, and that the growing use of AI could be "deeply disruptive" for white-collar workers.
The 71-year-old, who holds both UK and US passports, is the richest Welshman who has ever lived. with a wealth built on investments in companies like Yahoo and Google that made him billions during the dot-com boom of the early 2000s.
In a memoir called Ausländer – the German word for foreigner or outsider – Sir Michael charts his family's treatment under the Nazis.
His paternal grandparents, Max and Minnie Moritz, were among swathes of relatives killed during the Holocaust.
Using public archives he found that two of his relatives, his great-uncle Oskar Moritz and his cousin Mira Marx, were photographed by the Gestapo as they were forced onto buses that transported them to their deaths.
Sir Michael's parents had escaped Germany and settled in Cardiff, where he attended the now-closed Howardian High School in Penylan. » | Huw Thomas | Wales business correspondent | Monday, March 2, 2026
March 02, 2026
Javier Milei veut ériger l'« alliance stratégique durable » avec les États-Unis en « politique d'État »
LE FIGARO : Javier Milei s’est dit résolu à pousser plus avant ses réformes, annonçant un train ambitieux de 90 réformes dans l’année, pour « redessiner » l’Argentine « pour les 50 prochaines années ».
Le président ultralibéral argentin Javier Milei a déclaré dimanche au Parlement vouloir faire de « l'alliance stratégique durable » avec les États-Unis de son allié Donald Trump une « politique d'État », notamment pour agir sur le « terrain de rivalité stratégique » de l'Atlantique sud.
« L'Argentine a déjà laissé passer deux fois le train de l'histoire », a déclaré M. Milei dans son discours sur l'État de la nation lançant sa seconde moitié de mandat, en référence à la neutralité argentine pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale qui « nous a coûté des décennies de marginalisation ». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | lundi 2 mars 2026
Le président ultralibéral argentin Javier Milei a déclaré dimanche au Parlement vouloir faire de « l'alliance stratégique durable » avec les États-Unis de son allié Donald Trump une « politique d'État », notamment pour agir sur le « terrain de rivalité stratégique » de l'Atlantique sud.
« L'Argentine a déjà laissé passer deux fois le train de l'histoire », a déclaré M. Milei dans son discours sur l'État de la nation lançant sa seconde moitié de mandat, en référence à la neutralité argentine pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale qui « nous a coûté des décennies de marginalisation ». » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | lundi 2 mars 2026
March 01, 2026
Oil Price Expected to Surge after Iran Strikes and Strait of Hormuz Closure
THE GUARDIAN: Stock markets around the world could tumble on Monday and motorists are likely to pay more at the pump
The price of oil is expected to soar on Monday as the US-Israel war on Iran and the effective closure of the crucial strait of Hormuz rattles investors despite major producers’ pledges to increase its output.
US crude is on track to rise by 11% when trading resumes, according to data from the broker IG. The jump comes as Opec+, the cartel of oil producers, agreed on Sunday to step up its output by more than expected as it assessed the impact of the conflict.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards reportedly told ships on Saturday that passage through the strait of Hormuz was prohibited, in effect shutting the key choke point and prompting the halt of some oil shipments.
About $500bn (£372bn) of energy trade and 20% of global oil supplies pass through the strait each year. Vessels also carry chemicals and fertilisers, meaning disruption could affect agriculture and global food prices. » | Graeme Wearden and Mark Sweney | Sunday, March 1, 2026
The price of oil is expected to soar on Monday as the US-Israel war on Iran and the effective closure of the crucial strait of Hormuz rattles investors despite major producers’ pledges to increase its output.
US crude is on track to rise by 11% when trading resumes, according to data from the broker IG. The jump comes as Opec+, the cartel of oil producers, agreed on Sunday to step up its output by more than expected as it assessed the impact of the conflict.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards reportedly told ships on Saturday that passage through the strait of Hormuz was prohibited, in effect shutting the key choke point and prompting the halt of some oil shipments.
About $500bn (£372bn) of energy trade and 20% of global oil supplies pass through the strait each year. Vessels also carry chemicals and fertilisers, meaning disruption could affect agriculture and global food prices. » | Graeme Wearden and Mark Sweney | Sunday, March 1, 2026
Trump autoriza las ventas de petróleo al sector privado de Cuba
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Tras bloquear los envíos de petróleo desde el extranjero a la isla, el gobierno de Trump da luz verde a la entrada de pequeñas cantidades a Cuba, siempre que no lleguen al gobierno.
Después de bloquear los envíos de petróleo desde extranjero a Cuba, lo que ha sumido a la isla en su crisis más profunda en décadas, el gobierno de Donald Trump ha empezado a permitir que empresas estadounidenses envíen combustible a negocios privados en Cuba.
El gobierno de Trump también está permitiendo que las empresas soliciten licencias para vender petróleo venezolano a entidades no gubernamentales en Cuba, como organizaciones humanitarias y pequeñas empresas.
Los esfuerzos del presidente Trump por ayudar a negocios como mercados de alimentos y compañías de transporte a paliar la aplastante escasez de petróleo señalan lo que, según los expertos, es una estrategia para reforzar al pequeño sector privado del país, en dificultades, al tiempo que se sortea al gobierno comunista que Estados Unidos busca destituir. » | Por Frances Robles y David C. Adams | Reportando desde Florida | 28 de febrero de 2026
Read in English.
Después de bloquear los envíos de petróleo desde extranjero a Cuba, lo que ha sumido a la isla en su crisis más profunda en décadas, el gobierno de Donald Trump ha empezado a permitir que empresas estadounidenses envíen combustible a negocios privados en Cuba.
El gobierno de Trump también está permitiendo que las empresas soliciten licencias para vender petróleo venezolano a entidades no gubernamentales en Cuba, como organizaciones humanitarias y pequeñas empresas.
Los esfuerzos del presidente Trump por ayudar a negocios como mercados de alimentos y compañías de transporte a paliar la aplastante escasez de petróleo señalan lo que, según los expertos, es una estrategia para reforzar al pequeño sector privado del país, en dificultades, al tiempo que se sortea al gobierno comunista que Estados Unidos busca destituir. » | Por Frances Robles y David C. Adams | Reportando desde Florida | 28 de febrero de 2026
Read in English.
St. David's Day, the National Day of Wales: Daffodils – William Wordsworth (An Inspirational Poem)
Jun 20, 2020 | A powerful poem on finding pleasure and comfort in nature.
Read by Victor Vertunni
William Wordsworth was a revered English poet who was, in part, responsible for kick-starting the Romantic movement in English literature.
Inspired after finding a surprising number of daffodils during a countryside walk, Daffodils (or 'I Wondered Lonely as a Cloud') serves as something of a reminder that humanity is a part of nature and not an opposing force.
Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant Hapus I chwi gyd! / Happy St. David’s Day to you all! — © Mark Alexander
Image Source: With thanks to Plantlife.org.uk.
Read by Victor Vertunni
William Wordsworth was a revered English poet who was, in part, responsible for kick-starting the Romantic movement in English literature.
Inspired after finding a surprising number of daffodils during a countryside walk, Daffodils (or 'I Wondered Lonely as a Cloud') serves as something of a reminder that humanity is a part of nature and not an opposing force.
February 28, 2026
Le chef de la diplomatie polonaise défend l'Europe face aux favorables à un Polexit
Michael Lambert: UK Decline: Why We Are Finished without This One Change
Feb 28, 2026 | Is the UK's decline now irreversible? After spending time in Bangkok, the contrast in quality of life, infrastructure, and national energy has made me realize just how far we’ve fallen in the ten years since Brexit.
In this video, I explain why "educating the masses" won't work and propose a radical new "Truth & Honesty" law. We need to make lying expensive for newspapers, politicians, and social media giants. Without a systemic shift to honesty and the end of private political donations, I see no future for the UK.
In this video, I explain why "educating the masses" won't work and propose a radical new "Truth & Honesty" law. We need to make lying expensive for newspapers, politicians, and social media giants. Without a systemic shift to honesty and the end of private political donations, I see no future for the UK.
February 27, 2026
The Moment the World Lost Trust in America
February 26, 2026
Iceland to Hold Referendum on Full EU Membership | DW News
Feb 26, 2026 | Iceland's Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir says her country will hold a referendum in the coming months on joining the European Union.
Back in 2013, Iceland abandoned talks about joining the bloc, but Russia's invasion of Ukraine and growing global instability have increased support for becoming a full member state. Iceland already works closely with EU countries and is part of Europe's passport-free travel area.
Back in 2013, Iceland abandoned talks about joining the bloc, but Russia's invasion of Ukraine and growing global instability have increased support for becoming a full member state. Iceland already works closely with EU countries and is part of Europe's passport-free travel area.
The Truth about Trump's State of the Union | Sen. Bernie Sanders
How the U.S. Is Crippling Cuba’s Economy
February 25, 2026
British Public Want Deeper Economic Ties with EU, Business Secretary Says
THE GUATDIAN: Peter Kyle signs cooperation deal on competition and says it is not a case of being nostalgic for pre-Brexit past
The British public are “not nostalgic” for the pre-Brexit past but are pragmatic and want to move forward and “deepen” ties with the EU on trade and the economy, the business secretary, Peter Kyle, has said.
Signing an agreement in Brussels to cooperate closely on competition issues, Kyle said he thought the deal was “a real vindication of the reset and the relationships that have emerged between the EU and the UK” since Labour came to power.
He said it marked an alignment on strategies on issues such as mergers and acquisitions, the result of frequent conversations the two sides were now having.
The European Commission executive vice-president Teresa Ribera said it was “a privilege” to sign the deal, which was “reinforcing the current good cooperation” with the UK. » | Lisa O’Carroll | Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Let’s get down to brass tacks here! We should never have left the European Union in the first place. Doing so was ridiculous. Only someone who understood no economics would ever have proposed such an absurd idea!
Ergo, this country needs to rejoin the European Union at the very earliest convenience. However can this country hope to achieve economic growth, cut off from the biggest single market the world has ever known?
We Brits are Europeans, and we belong in the European Union. Anyone who argues differently is ignorant of the facts.
The successful politician of the future will be the person who will take us back into the European Union as full members. Everyone wants to join the European Union, from Ukraine to Iceland. We Brits should be no different. — © Mark Alexander
The British public are “not nostalgic” for the pre-Brexit past but are pragmatic and want to move forward and “deepen” ties with the EU on trade and the economy, the business secretary, Peter Kyle, has said.
Signing an agreement in Brussels to cooperate closely on competition issues, Kyle said he thought the deal was “a real vindication of the reset and the relationships that have emerged between the EU and the UK” since Labour came to power.
He said it marked an alignment on strategies on issues such as mergers and acquisitions, the result of frequent conversations the two sides were now having.
The European Commission executive vice-president Teresa Ribera said it was “a privilege” to sign the deal, which was “reinforcing the current good cooperation” with the UK. » | Lisa O’Carroll | Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Let’s get down to brass tacks here! We should never have left the European Union in the first place. Doing so was ridiculous. Only someone who understood no economics would ever have proposed such an absurd idea!
Ergo, this country needs to rejoin the European Union at the very earliest convenience. However can this country hope to achieve economic growth, cut off from the biggest single market the world has ever known?
We Brits are Europeans, and we belong in the European Union. Anyone who argues differently is ignorant of the facts.
The successful politician of the future will be the person who will take us back into the European Union as full members. Everyone wants to join the European Union, from Ukraine to Iceland. We Brits should be no different. — © Mark Alexander
Germany’s Leader Delivers a Blunt Warning to China on Trade
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Chancellor Friedrich Merz laid out his complaints in a frank message to his hosts on a trip to Beijing that China had designed to showcase their relationship.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany arrived in China on Wednesday with an outstretched hand and a list of complaints for his hosts, asking for closer diplomatic ties but also relief from economic policies that he said were impeding “fair competition.”
Mr. Merz, who took pains before the trip to say he would not be “lecturing” Beijing, laid out his critiques in a speech at a meeting of the Advisory Council of German-Chinese Business, to an audience that included Premier Li Qiang, China’s second-highest ranking official.
The chancellor was more blunt and more specific in his criticism than other western leaders, including the prime ministers of Britain and Canada, who have recently trekked to Beijing to reset relations with China amid the turmoil caused by President Trump.
Mr. Merz called on China to reduce subsidies for its domestic manufacturers, to allow the value of its currency, the renminbi, to strengthen, and to ensure continued exports of raw materials, such as critical minerals — all of which would benefit German industry. Doing so, he said, would allow Germany and China to forge a tighter bond.
“In view of the uncertainties caused by customs policy that we see around the world,” Mr. Merz said, addressing Mr. Li directly, “we can now set a different example in our bilateral relations, through the reliability and security of the economic relations between our two countries.” » | David Pierson and Jim Tankersley | David Pierson reported from Hong Kong, and Jim Tankersley from Berlin. | Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany arrived in China on Wednesday with an outstretched hand and a list of complaints for his hosts, asking for closer diplomatic ties but also relief from economic policies that he said were impeding “fair competition.”
Mr. Merz, who took pains before the trip to say he would not be “lecturing” Beijing, laid out his critiques in a speech at a meeting of the Advisory Council of German-Chinese Business, to an audience that included Premier Li Qiang, China’s second-highest ranking official.
The chancellor was more blunt and more specific in his criticism than other western leaders, including the prime ministers of Britain and Canada, who have recently trekked to Beijing to reset relations with China amid the turmoil caused by President Trump.
Mr. Merz called on China to reduce subsidies for its domestic manufacturers, to allow the value of its currency, the renminbi, to strengthen, and to ensure continued exports of raw materials, such as critical minerals — all of which would benefit German industry. Doing so, he said, would allow Germany and China to forge a tighter bond.
“In view of the uncertainties caused by customs policy that we see around the world,” Mr. Merz said, addressing Mr. Li directly, “we can now set a different example in our bilateral relations, through the reliability and security of the economic relations between our two countries.” » | David Pierson and Jim Tankersley | David Pierson reported from Hong Kong, and Jim Tankersley from Berlin. | Wednesday, February 25, 2026
«Notre pays gagne de nouveau» : au Congrès, Donald Trump célèbre ses succès et défie les démocrates
LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - Le discours sur l’état de l’Union du président a célébré les héros américains et les succès de son administration, sans s’égarer dans des digressions ou des provocations.
Donald Trump s’est montré particulièrement discipliné pour son premier discours sur l’état de l’Union de son second mandat. Devant le Congrès et les principaux représentants de l’État fédéral réunis mardi soir au Capitole, le président américain a prononcé une allocution efficace, souvent enlevée, rythmée par des annonces et des hommages à des héros américains, tout en évitant largement les digressions, les récriminations et les provocations qui font souvent ressembler ses discours officiels à des diatribes de campagne électorale. « Notre pays gagne de nouveau, et gagne tellement que nous ne savons plus quoi faire ! Mais vous allez gagner encore et encore !», a lancé Trump alors que l’équipe américaine de hockey sur glace apparaissait dans la galerie qui surplombe la tribune, les joueurs arborant leur médaille d’or remportée en battant le Canada aux Jeux olympiques d’hiver de Milan-Cortina.
Pendant plus d’une heure et quarante minutes, Trump a présenté d’autres médailles. Certaines, réelles, à des héros ou des victimes de crimes. D’autres, virtuelles, destinées à sa propre administration. « Lorsque je me suis exprimé pour la dernière fois dans cette chambre il y a 12 mois, je venais d’hériter d’une nation en crise, avec une économie stagnante, une inflation à des niveaux records, une frontière grande ouverte, un recrutement désastreux dans l’armée et la police, une criminalité endémique dans le pays, et des guerres et le chaos partout dans le monde », a dit Trump, « mais ce soir, après seulement un an, je peux dire avec dignité et fierté que nous avons accompli une transformation sans précédent et un revirement historique. C’est en effet un retournement historique ! » » | Par Adrien Jaulmes | mercredi 25 février 2026
Réservé aux abonnés
Donald Trump s’est montré particulièrement discipliné pour son premier discours sur l’état de l’Union de son second mandat. Devant le Congrès et les principaux représentants de l’État fédéral réunis mardi soir au Capitole, le président américain a prononcé une allocution efficace, souvent enlevée, rythmée par des annonces et des hommages à des héros américains, tout en évitant largement les digressions, les récriminations et les provocations qui font souvent ressembler ses discours officiels à des diatribes de campagne électorale. « Notre pays gagne de nouveau, et gagne tellement que nous ne savons plus quoi faire ! Mais vous allez gagner encore et encore !», a lancé Trump alors que l’équipe américaine de hockey sur glace apparaissait dans la galerie qui surplombe la tribune, les joueurs arborant leur médaille d’or remportée en battant le Canada aux Jeux olympiques d’hiver de Milan-Cortina.
Pendant plus d’une heure et quarante minutes, Trump a présenté d’autres médailles. Certaines, réelles, à des héros ou des victimes de crimes. D’autres, virtuelles, destinées à sa propre administration. « Lorsque je me suis exprimé pour la dernière fois dans cette chambre il y a 12 mois, je venais d’hériter d’une nation en crise, avec une économie stagnante, une inflation à des niveaux records, une frontière grande ouverte, un recrutement désastreux dans l’armée et la police, une criminalité endémique dans le pays, et des guerres et le chaos partout dans le monde », a dit Trump, « mais ce soir, après seulement un an, je peux dire avec dignité et fierté que nous avons accompli une transformation sans précédent et un revirement historique. C’est en effet un retournement historique ! » » | Par Adrien Jaulmes | mercredi 25 février 2026
Réservé aux abonnés
Why the Longest-ever State of the Union Address Was the Most Inconsequential
THE GUARDIAN: Amid Trump’s lies and xenophobic rants, people struggling to pay bills and make ends meet are unlikely to be moved
He wanted to give the king’s speech. Donald Trump entered the US House chamber on Tuesday like a medieval monarch, with Republicans lined up eager to touch his royal robes (or, in two cases, grab a selfie with him). But within moments, the illusion was shattered.
As the US president strolled by, soaking up adulation, Democratic representative Al Green of Texas held aloft a handwritten sign: “Black people aren’t apes!” – a reference to Trump recently sharing a racist video depiction of Barack and Michelle Obama.
When the first State of the Union address of Trump’s second term got under way, Republicans moved in on Green menacingly and tried to tear the sign away. But he persisted until being escorted out for the second year in a row. As he departed, there were more acrimonious exchanges with Republicans, a few of whom tried to start a chant of “USA! USA!”
It was the first but not the last time that a person of color would take a stand during the wannabe autocrat’s record 107-minute speech while others remained silent or raucously egged him on. It was a night where Trump again sought to poison US politics and divide Americans along various fault lines, none more inflammatory than race. » | David Smith in Washington | Wednesday, February 25, 2026
He wanted to give the king’s speech. Donald Trump entered the US House chamber on Tuesday like a medieval monarch, with Republicans lined up eager to touch his royal robes (or, in two cases, grab a selfie with him). But within moments, the illusion was shattered.
As the US president strolled by, soaking up adulation, Democratic representative Al Green of Texas held aloft a handwritten sign: “Black people aren’t apes!” – a reference to Trump recently sharing a racist video depiction of Barack and Michelle Obama.
When the first State of the Union address of Trump’s second term got under way, Republicans moved in on Green menacingly and tried to tear the sign away. But he persisted until being escorted out for the second year in a row. As he departed, there were more acrimonious exchanges with Republicans, a few of whom tried to start a chant of “USA! USA!”
It was the first but not the last time that a person of color would take a stand during the wannabe autocrat’s record 107-minute speech while others remained silent or raucously egged him on. It was a night where Trump again sought to poison US politics and divide Americans along various fault lines, none more inflammatory than race. » | David Smith in Washington | Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)