Rabbit Trails

President Donald J. Trump declared via Truth Social on April 22, 2026 that a rigged election had taken place the prior evening in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The declaration was filed in all capital letters. Republicans, the president reported, had been winning all day long. The Spirit, he noted, was unbelievable.

The president identified the mechanism of loss as a mail-in ballot drop occurring at the very end of the evening, producing what he described as another Crooked Victory for the Democrats. The margin was characterized as six to five going to ten to one, a formulation this correspondent has filed without editorial adjustment. The presidential election in November, he noted for comparison, had been very close to a 50-50 split.

The president further reported that the language on the Referendum had been purposefully unintelligible and deceptive. As supporting documentation for this characterization, the president noted that he is, as he described it, an extraordinarily brilliant person, and even he had no idea what the hell they were talking about. The identity of “they” was not specified.

The president has asked the Courts to review what he described as this travesty of “Justice.” The Courts have not yet responded.

The pronouns remain part of the record.

Original source: Truth Social — @realDonaldTrump

The Dispatch

On April 20, 2026, at 2:11 PM, President Donald J. Trump posted to Truth Social that he was winning a War, BY A LOT, and that things were going very well. The post stated that the enemy was confused, that Iran’s Navy had been completely wiped out, its Air Force had gone onto darker runways, and that it had no Anti Missile or Anti Airplane Equipment remaining. The post further stated that the blockade was absolutely destroying Iran at a rate of $500 million dollars a day, described as an unsustainable number even in the short run. The post closed: “The Anti-America Fake News Media is rooting for Iran to win, but it’s not going to happen, because I’m in charge!” The post received 11,100 ReTruths and 49,800 Likes.

Later the same evening, at approximately 10:13 PM, the President posted to Truth Social that Iran has Violated the Cease Fire numerous times.

On April 8, 2026, a ceasefire between the United States, Israel, and Iran took effect following talks brokered by Pakistan. On April 16, 2026, the President announced a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon and posted that it had been his Honor to solve 9 Wars across the World, and that Lebanon would be his 10th. The administration has previously stated on multiple occasions that the United States is not at war with Iran. The military operation has been described by the administration as a military operation, not a war. It is worth noting the United States is not at war. Trump remains a peace-time president.

The Cease Fire has been violated numerous times. The War is going very well.

Original source: Truth Social @realDonaldTrump

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The Dispatch

On April 17, 2026, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted to X that passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz was declared completely open for the remaining period of the ceasefire, in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon. He stated that ships could move on the coordinated route as already announced by Iranian authorities.

At 9:06 AM on the same day, President Donald J. Trump posted to Truth Social: “IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE. THANK YOU!”

The waterway is named the Strait of Hormuz. It has been named the Strait of Hormuz since the sixteenth century, after the historic port city of Hormuz on its northern shore. Approximately 20 percent of the world’s seaborne oil passes through it. Iran announced it open. The President thanked Iran.

The Strait of Hormuz remains the Strait of Hormuz.

Original source: Truth Social @realDonaldTrump

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The Dispatch

On April 16, 2026, Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, posted to X that he did not believe President Trump would knowingly depict himself as Jesus Christ, that when the President learned of concerns about the AI-generated healing image he immediately removed the post, and that upon viewing the illustration himself he saw no spiritual references — no halo, no crosses, no angels — only a flag, soldiers, a nurse, fighter planes, eagles, and the Statue of Liberty. Graham described the reaction as a lot to do about nothing. Regarding the separately posted image of Jesus with his arm around the President, which the President described as quite nice, Graham wrote that he liked the fact that it depicted Jesus whispering in the President’s ear, guiding him, and that he would have to agree it was nice. The post received 1.6 million views.

On April 1, 2026, Graham delivered the opening prayer at a White House Holy Week lunch attended by the President, the Vice President, cabinet members, and six additional members of the clergy. In the prayer, Graham compared the Iranian government to the Persian regime in the biblical Book of Esther and cast the President in the role of a divinely appointed figure. “Today the Iranians, the wicked regime of this government, wants to kill every Jew and destroy them with an atomic fire,” Graham said. “But you have raised up President Trump. You’ve raised him up for such a time as this. Father, we pray that you’ll give him victory.” He closed by praying for the people of Iran to be set free from what he described as Islamic lunatics. That prayer was delivered at a White House event. A video of the prayer was subsequently removed from the White House YouTube page.

On March 31, 2026, in an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Graham pushed back against Pope Leo XIV’s Palm Sunday statement that God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war. Graham cited the Old Testament example of King David. “Well, he didn’t reject David’s prayers, that’s for sure,” Graham said. He described the Iranian government as evil and said he hoped for regime change. He told Morgan he was not Roman Catholic and came from a different perspective. In his April 16 post, Graham expressed hope that the President and Pope Leo would meet, and that the Pope would have the opportunity to thank the President for his efforts to protect religious liberty for Catholics and people of all faiths.

Graham described the healing image as a lot to do about nothing. He said he thinks there is an attempt to spin it into something that it is not.

Original source: Franklin Graham on X

Additional sources:

The Dispatch

On April 15, 2026, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth led a Christian worship service at the Pentagon, one of a series of regular services he has hosted at the department since taking office. During the service, Hegseth told those assembled that fifteen minutes prior he had been discussing blockades with Admiral Brad Cooper, who has led U.S. forces during the Iran war, and that what they discussed in worship should inform their military decisions and conduct. He then introduced a prayer he said had been recited by the combat search and rescue team known as Sandy 1 ahead of the mission to recover U.S. Air Force crew members shot down over Iran earlier in the month. He said the prayer was titled CSAR 2517, adding: “I think is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17.” He asked those present to pray with him and read the prayer aloud.

The prayer Hegseth read was adapted almost word-for-word from a monologue delivered by the character Jules Winnfield, played by Samuel L. Jackson, in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film Pulp Fiction. In the film, Jules recites the speech immediately before shooting an unarmed man. He attributes it to Ezekiel 25:17. The prayer as Hegseth read it substituted the phrase “downed aviator” for “righteous man,” “camaraderie and duty” for “charity and good will,” “brother’s keeper” for the film’s “brother’s keeper,” and closed with “you will know my call sign is Sandy 1 when I lay my vengeance upon thee” in place of the film’s “you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.” The passage Tarantino wrote for the film was itself adapted from a line in the 1973 Japanese martial arts film Bodyguard Kiba, substituting “the Lord” for “Chiba the Bodyguard.” Tarantino attributed the passage to Ezekiel. The actual text of Ezekiel 25:17 in the King James Bible reads: “And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.”

The April 15 service was the second in a row at which Hegseth read a violent prayer framed in religious terms. At a March service, he read a prayer that included the line: “Grant this task force clear and righteous targets for violence.” He also called for “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.” At the April 15 service, Hegseth also compared journalists to the Pharisees, the New Testament figures who opposed Jesus, stating that their hearts were hardened and that even though they witnessed a literal miracle it did not matter, as they were only there to explain away the goodness in pursuit of their agenda. The Department of War did not comment.

The actual Ezekiel 25:17 remains one sentence long.

Original source: Forbes

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The Dispatch

On April 16, 2026, President Donald J. Trump posted to Truth Social that he had spoken with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and that the two leaders had agreed to begin a 10-day ceasefire at 5 PM EST. The President announced he would invite both leaders to the White House for what he described as the first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1983. He directed Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Razin Caine to work toward a lasting peace. The post stated: “It has been my Honor to solve 9 Wars across the World, and this will be my 10th, so let’s, GET IT DONE!”

The President’s war count has been updated at intervals since July 2025. In July 2025 he posted that he had stopped six wars, averaging about a war a month. In August 2025 he said he had solved seven. In September 2025, addressing the United Nations General Assembly, he listed the seven conflicts: Cambodia and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, Pakistan and India, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Armenia and Azerbaijan. By December 2025 the count had reached eight. The count now stands at nine. The conflicts described as solved include the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, which began on February 28, 2026, with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, and concluded with a ceasefire on April 8. The ceasefire is currently in effect. The President has previously stated that the United States is not at war with Iran. The operation has been described by the administration as a military operation, not a war. It is worth noting the United States is not at war. Trump remains a peace-time president.

The first direct talks between Lebanon and Israel in 34 years were held on April 14, 2026, in Washington, mediated by Secretary of State Rubio. The ambassadors of Lebanon and Israel sat across from one another while U.S. officials sat between them. No ceasefire was reached. Rubio told reporters: “This is a process, not an event.” Lebanon entered the talks seeking a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, the release of Lebanese prisoners, and the return of more than one million displaced persons. Israel entered the talks seeking the dismantling of Hezbollah’s weapons. Israel has maintained a military presence in southern Lebanon despite agreeing to withdraw as part of a 2024 ceasefire agreement. As of April 15, Israeli strikes had killed 2,164 people in Lebanon and wounded 7,061, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health.

The night before the April 16 announcement, the President posted that he was trying to get a little breathing room between Israel and Lebanon and that it had been a long time since the two leaders had spoken, like 34 years. He added: “It will happen tomorrow. Nice!”

Lebanon will be his 10th.

Original source: Truth Social @realDonaldTrump

Additional sources:

The Dispatch

On April 14, 2026, Vice President JD Vance appeared at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Georgia in Athens as part of the organization’s This Is the Turning Point Tour, a college campus speaking series. During the event, Vance was asked by a host what it was like to be positioned between President Trump and Pope Leo XIV amid their ongoing disagreement over the Iran war. While Vance was answering, a voice from the audience called out: “Jesus Christ does not support genocide.” A second voice called out: “You’re killing children. You’re bombing children.” Vance continued his remarks.

In his response to the host’s question, Vance cited the Catholic theological tradition of just war theory in defense of the administration’s conduct in Iran. He stated that when the Pope says God is never on the side of those who wield the sword, there is a thousand-year tradition of just war theory to consider. Vance also argued that God was on the side of those who liberated France and other oppressed groups from the Nazis. He described the Pope’s job as being to preach the gospel. Vance said he admires Pope Leo XIV and has no problem with him speaking on issues. He then offered the following caution: “In the same way that it’s important for the vice president of the United States to be careful when I talk about matters of public policy, I think it’s very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology.”

Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born leader of the Catholic Church, posted to X on April 10 that God and his followers are never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs. On April 12, President Trump posted to Truth Social that Leo was WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy, and stated that he did not want a Pope who thought it was acceptable for Iran to possess a nuclear weapon. On April 13, aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria, Leo told reporters he had no fear of the Trump administration. On April 15, the United States Naval blockade of Iranian ports entered its second day. Nine vessels had been turned around at the Strait of Hormuz in the first 48 hours of enforcement, according to U.S. Central Command.

JD Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019. He is the second Catholic to hold the office of Vice President of the United States. Pope Leo XIV is the head of the Catholic Church. Vance said he thinks it is very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology.

Original source: USA Today

Additional sources:

The Dispatch

On April 15, 2026, at 7:56 AM, President Donald J. Trump reposted to Truth Social a screenshot of a post from the X account @Dkelly4congress, which operates under the name Irish for Trump. The post contained an AI-generated image depicting Jesus Christ with his arm around the President, set against an American flag background. The accompanying caption read: “I was never a very religious man.. but doesn’t it seem, with all these satanic, demonic, child sacrificing monsters being exposed… that God might be playing his Trump card!” The President added the comment: “The Radical Left Lunatics might not like this, but I think it is quite nice!!! President DJT.” The post had received 196 views at the time of filing.

The image had been in circulation since at least February 24, 2026, when it was first documented on Facebook. It was reposted to X by @Dkelly4congress on April 15, 2026, where the President encountered it. Three days prior, on April 12, 2026, the President had posted a different AI-generated image to Truth Social depicting himself in white and red robes consistent with religious iconography, with one hand resting on the forehead of an elderly bedridden man and light visibly emanating from his fingers. That image was deleted from the President’s Truth Social account by the morning of April 13. Speaking to reporters outside the Oval Office, the President confirmed he had posted the image and stated he had believed it depicted him as a doctor affiliated with the Red Cross. He described the widespread interpretation of the image as a depiction of Jesus Christ as a fabrication of the fake news.

The President has posted AI-generated religious imagery of himself on at least one prior occasion. In May 2025, during the official mourning period following the death of Pope Francis, the President posted an AI-generated image of himself in full papal vestments. That image was also shared to the White House’s official social media account. It was not deleted. The New York State Catholic Conference, which represents the state’s bishops, stated at the time: “There is nothing clever or funny about this image.” At an Easter luncheon on April 1, 2026, a video was posted to the White House YouTube page in which the President said: “On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem as crowds welcomed him with praise, honouring him as king. They call me king now. Can you believe it?” That video was subsequently removed from the White House YouTube page.

In the image posted on April 15, Jesus has his arm around the President. In the image posted on April 12, the President’s hand was on the forehead of a bedridden man, with light emanating from his fingers. The President described the April 12 image as depicting a doctor. He described the April 15 image as quite nice.

The Radical Left Lunatics have not yet commented.

Original source: Truth Social @realDonaldTrump

Additional sources:

The Dispatch

On April 15, 2026, at 7:56 AM, President Donald J. Trump reposted to Truth Social a screenshot of a post from the X account @Dkelly4congress, which operates under the name Irish for Trump. The post contained an AI-generated image depicting Jesus Christ with his arm around the President, set against an American flag background. The accompanying caption read: “I was never a very religious man.. but doesn’t it seem, with all these satanic, demonic, child sacrificing monsters being exposed… that God might be playing his Trump card!” The President added the comment: “The Radical Left Lunatics might not like this, but I think it is quite nice!!! President DJT.” The post had received 196 views at the time of filing.

The image had been in circulation since at least February 24, 2026, when it was first documented on Facebook. It was reposted to X by @Dkelly4congress on April 15, 2026, where the President encountered it. Three days prior, on April 12, 2026, the President had posted a different AI-generated image to Truth Social depicting himself in white and red robes consistent with religious iconography, with one hand resting on the forehead of an elderly bedridden man and light visibly emanating from his fingers. That image was deleted from the President’s Truth Social account by the morning of April 13. Speaking to reporters outside the Oval Office, the President confirmed he had posted the image and stated he had believed it depicted him as a doctor affiliated with the Red Cross. He described the widespread interpretation of the image as a depiction of Jesus Christ as a fabrication of the fake news. Three days after the deletion, the President returned to post an image of Jesus Christ with his arm around him.

The President has posted AI-generated religious imagery of himself on at least one prior occasion. In May 2025, during the official mourning period following the death of Pope Francis, the President posted an AI-generated image of himself in full papal vestments. That image was also shared to the White House’s official social media account. It was not deleted. The New York State Catholic Conference, which represents the state’s bishops, stated at the time: “There is nothing clever or funny about this image.” At an Easter luncheon on April 1, 2026, a video was posted to the White House YouTube page in which the President said: “On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem as crowds welcomed him with praise, honouring him as king. They call me king now. Can you believe it?” That video was subsequently removed from the White House YouTube page.

In the image posted on April 15, Jesus has his arm around the President. In the image posted on April 12, the President’s hand was on the forehead of a bedridden man, with light emanating from his fingers. The President described the April 12 image as depicting a doctor. He described the April 15 image as quite nice.

The Radical Left Lunatics have not yet commented.

Original source: Truth Social @realDonaldTrump

Additional sources:

The Dispatch

On April 15, 2026, President Donald J. Trump posted to Truth Social in support of a clean 18-month reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which is scheduled to expire on April 20. The post acknowledged that the program had been used against the President personally and stated that he was willing to “risk giving up his Rights and Privileges as a Citizen” in order to support its renewal. The post closed with the words “Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.” The House is scheduled to vote on H.R. 8035, the reauthorization legislation, this week.

On April 10, 2024, the President posted to Truth Social: “KILL FISA, IT WAS ILLEGALLY USED AGAINST ME, AND MANY OTHERS. THEY SPIED ON MY CAMPAIGN!!!” That post preceded a procedural vote on the prior reauthorization by several hours. Nineteen Republican members joined Democrats to defeat the procedural motion. Section 702 was subsequently extended through a defense spending bill and reauthorized in 2024 with 56 amendments, none of which included a warrant requirement for searches of Americans’ communications.

Section 702 authorizes the collection of digital communications of foreign nationals located outside the United States without an individualized court order. The program also collects communications of American citizens, which federal agencies including the FBI, CIA, NSA, and National Counterterrorism Center may then search without a warrant in what oversight organizations have described as backdoor searches. The FBI conducted 7,413 such searches of Americans’ data in the 2024-2025 window, a figure that represents a 35 percent increase over the prior year. Twenty-eight percent of those searches returned results. The FISA Court, in findings dated April 9, 2026, noted that compliance problems the Department of Justice had reported as resolved are in fact ongoing across the intelligence community.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who as a Hawaii congresswoman sponsored legislation to repeal Section 702 in its entirety, supports the clean extension. House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, who voted against reauthorization in 2024, is currently whipping votes in favor of it. The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, which in 2023 issued a report describing Section 702 as presenting significant privacy and civil liberties risks, was effectively dissolved in January 2025. Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida has indicated she will attach the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act to the reauthorization bill. Speaker Johnson told Representative Luna she could bear responsibility for thousands of American deaths if the program lapses.

The program expires in five days. The President has said he is willing to give up his rights and privileges. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Original source: Truth Social @realDonaldTrump

Additional sources:

The Dispatch

On Monday morning, the AI-generated image depicting President Donald J. Trump in white and red robes performing a faith healing was deleted from the President’s Truth Social account. Direct links to the post returned an infinite loading screen. Speaking to reporters at an impromptu press conference outside the Oval Office, the President confirmed he had posted the image and offered the following clarification: “I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do with Red Cross. There’s a Red Cross worker there, which we support, and only the fake news could come up with that one.” The President continued: “It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better, and I do make people better. I make people a lot better.”

The image was a slightly altered version of one posted several months earlier by Nick Adams, a right-wing influencer, who accompanied his original post with the caption: “America has been sick for a long time. President Trump is healing this nation.” In March 2026, the President appointed Adams to serve as Special Presidential Envoy for American Tourism, Exceptionalism and Values. The image Adams posted was modified and reshared to the President’s Truth Social account on the evening of April 12, 2026, without a caption, approximately forty-six minutes after the President’s lengthy critique of Pope Leo XIV. April 12, 2026 was Orthodox Easter Sunday.

The post drew condemnation from a number of the President’s prominent supporters. Former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote that the image depicted the President “as if he is replacing Jesus” and described it as “more than blasphemy,” adding: “It’s an Antichrist spirit.” Conservative commentator Riley Gaines stated she could not understand why the President would post the image and wrote: “God shall not be mocked.” Fox News contributor and former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer described the post as “inappropriate and embarrassing” and “offensive.” Republican Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska called it “a gaudy and juvenile post.” Conservative Christian commentator Allie Beth Stuckey attributed the image to the President’s spiritual environment, writing: “That image is what happens when Paula White is your personal pastor and people around you are continually comparing you to Christ.” Conservative author Michael Knowles wrote that it behooved the President “both spiritually and politically to delete the picture.” The White House did not respond to requests for comment.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed a post on the platform X directly to Pope Leo XIV. “I condemn the insult to Your Excellency on behalf of the great nation of Iran,” Pezeshkian wrote, “and declare that the desecration of Jesus, the prophet of peace and brotherhood, is not acceptable to any free person. I wish you glory by Allah.” The post received 104,000 likes and 6.1 million views. The President stated he would not apologize to the Pope. “Pope Leo said things that are wrong,” the President told reporters.

The image was the third post in a related sequence to be removed. During the official mourning period for the late Pope Francis in May 2025, the President posted an AI-generated image depicting himself in papal vestments; that image was also shared to the White House’s official social media account before being removed. A video posted to the White House YouTube page from an Easter luncheon this month, in which the President said “They call me king now. Can you believe it?” in the context of a discussion of Palm Sunday, was subsequently removed from the White House YouTube page. Asked on Monday whether the healing image depicted him as Jesus Christ, the President said: “It wasn’t a depiction.”

Mr. Adams’s title is Special Presidential Envoy for American Tourism, Exceptionalism and Values.

Original source: Washington Times

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