President Donald Trump said he is considering withdrawing his nomination of Dr. Casey Means for surgeon general. “Well, we’re looking at a lot of different things,” Trump said in response to a question from The Daily Signal on Sunday night. “I don’t know how she’s doing in the nomination process. I’m more focused on Iran. But, you know, something like that would be possible.” “We certainly have a lot of great candidates for that job,” he said. Is President Trump considering withdrawing Casey Mean's nomination for surgeon general? "Something like that would be possible," he told @DailySignal. "We certainly have a lot of great candidates for the job." pic.twitter.com/dg47SewSMf— Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell (@TheElizMitchell) March 30, 2026 Means attended Stanford Medical School before dropping out of her surgical residency to pursue holistic medicine. She is the author of “Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health,” which she co-wrote with her brother Calley Means, who serves as senior advisor to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Her confirmation faces headwinds in the Senate health committee, as three committee Republicans sounded skeptical during her confirmation hearing and have not committed to voting for her. These include Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, the committee’s chair; Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska; and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. “I just have nothing to say on that right now,” Cassidy said on whether the committee had enough votes to advance Means’ confirmation, The Wall Street Journal reported last week. At her Feb. 25 confirmation hearing, Cassidy pressed Means about her past vaccine skepticism and pushed her to endorse broad childhood immunization programs, which she did not do. “I believe that vaccines are a key part of any infectious disease public health strategy,” she said. “Anti-vaccine rhetoric has never been a part of my message.” In her testimony, Means vowed to address the root causes of chronic disease, which she said were diet, overuse of medicine, lack of physical activity, industrial chemical exposure, chronic stress, and loneliness. Means is Trump’s second nominee for the role after withdrawing his prior pick, Janette Nesheiwat, in May. Both nominations have faced opposition from far-right activists, including Laura Loomer. Reuters contributed to this report. The post Trump Gives Update on Surgeon General Nominee appeared first on The Daily Signal.

President Donald Trump on Monday said he is making progress in negotiations with Iran’s leaders, but he threatened further attacks if they do not agree to a deal soon. “The United States of America is in serious discussions with A NEW, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME to end our Military Operations in Iran,” Trump wrote in a social media post in the fifth week of Operation Epic Fury. Trump did not clarify the Iranian individuals or factions involved in the discussions. His remarks came after he told The Daily Signal on Sunday that a deal to resolve the conflict “could be soon.” NEW: @POTUS tells @DailySignal a deal is possible with Iran THIS WEEK. Q: "Could you see foresee a deal in Iran this upcoming week?"A: "I do see a deal, yeah. Could be soon." pic.twitter.com/Y0VZBPmJh2— Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell (@TheElizMitchell) March 30, 2026 Trump added in the Monday post that “great progress has been made.” He added that “if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached” and the Strait of Hormuz is not opened, then the U.S. military would finish the campaign by destroying Iran’s “Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island,” and “possibly all desalination plants.” Kharg Island, located off Iran’s coast in the Persian Gulf, is a major oil terminal. An arid nation that has long suffered from drought, Iran relies on desalination plants to maintain its freshwater supply. The president said last week he would pause attacks on Iran’s energy plants for 10 days, which would be until April 6. Iran has sent the price of oil upward by attacking oil tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz, located between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Brent crude futures jumped by $2.42, or 2.2%, to almost $115 a barrel on Monday morning, and were on course for a record monthly rise. Iran on Monday described U.S. proposals to end a month of war in the Middle East as “unrealistic, illogical and excessive” and unleashed more missiles on Israel. Israel’s military said two drones from Yemen had also been intercepted on Monday, two days after the Iran-aligned Houthis fired missiles at Israel for the first time since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran that has spread across the region. Lebanon’s Hezbollah also fired rockets at Israel on Monday. Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell contributed to this report. Reuters contributed to this report. The post Trump Threatens Apocalyptic Consequences If Iran Does Not Negotiate appeared first on The Daily Signal.

When I was growing up, many Americans viewed California as the sunny state with unlimited resources, an entrepreneurial spirit that inspired people across the country, and energy sources that the U.S. and the world desperately needed. Today’s California is the exact opposite of that, and it’s truly a shame. Everyone can see that California Gov. Gavin Newsom is preparing a run for president in 2028. While he comes from the same far left, woke camp as former Vice President Kamala Harris, he also owns an energy policy record in California that all Americans should understand—and run away from. California’s failures impact the energy security of our country, but it’s even more concerning to consider a future where Newsom takes his anti-fossil fuel policies to the national stage and drags the entire country into this costly abyss. Newsom’s policies have resulted in an energy industry exodus that is truly historic and costly for California. Chevron, one of the most storied names in American energy, recently packed up its headquarters and headed to Houston, Texas. Oil refiner Phillips 66 announced it will shutter its Los Angeles-area refinery and stop all crude refining in California due to regulations. Valero is closing their Benicia refining facility. One by one, Newsom’s policies have resulted in California’s energy jobs and major in-state production facilities leaving. The impact? Fewer local jobs, higher energy prices, and more reliance on imported oil and gas from foreign nations. The toll on everyday Californians I’ve talked to has been costly. Gas prices in California exceed the national average by nearly two dollars, and electricity rates are almost double those in states like Wyoming. Working-class families and small businesses are being squeezed by energy costs that barely register for the wealthy donors and coastal elites whose priorities seem to drive Newsom’s agenda. These are results that the rest of the country don’t want to see in our states. And it’s only getting worse. Two refinery closures are about to nix 20% of the state’s refining capacity. This is occurring while California already imports over 60% of its crude oil from foreign countries instead of producing its own. They’ve even resorted to shipping in large quantities of gasoline from the Bahamas. The Trump administration, trying to help, just directed offshore oil production that could provide real relief today and for years to come. Unsurprisingly, California’s politicians are fighting to prevent American oil from reaching their own constituents. Californians and other nearby states are stuck paying foreign prices at the pump because Newsom and his allies decided that far-left politics matters more than the people they represent. As our country’s energy needs grow in the coming years, these very policies should concern Americans just now learning about Newsom. Gavin Newsom and his party don’t understand the economy, don’t care about long-term American energy infrastructure, and don’t understand just how much reliable and affordable baseload energy will be needed in the years and decades to come. Under Joe Biden, we saw a president who was focused on doing everything possible to raise costs for consumers, to destroy energy production across the country, to kill good paying energy jobs, to stop future projects, and above all else, use taxpayer dollars to prop up his cronies in green energy. Newsom was Biden’s biggest cheerleader and defender. Even after the presidential debate where it became clear to the entire world that Joe Biden was not fit to serve, Newsom was still out there defending his agenda and pushing Americans to give him four more years in the White House. That tells you everything you need to know about Newsom’s judgment. President Donald Trump and his administration came in and have worked overtime to correct Biden’s failed policies and to unleash America’s amazing energy opportunities for the long haul. We can’t go back to the failed, expensive, low-energy future that Newsom represents. Congress and the American people need to make sure the California energy agenda doesn’t go national again. Our country has the energy resources, the experienced workers, and now the leadership in Washington to build a real American energy future. When I hire people in my office, I look at their resume. Well I’ve looked at Governor Newsom’s, and it’s a clear cautionary story to all of the U.S. to avoid this candidate and his policies. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post Newsom Is Murdering California’s Energy Industry appeared first on The Daily Signal.

ISLAMABAD/TEL AVIV, March 29 (Reuters)—Pakistan said on Sunday it was preparing to host “meaningful talks” to end the conflict over Iran in coming days even though Tehran earlier accused Washington of preparing a land assault while seeking negotiations. Speaking after talks between regional foreign ministers, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said they had covered possible ways to bring an early and permanent end to the war in the region as well as potential U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad. “Pakistan will be honoured to host and facilitate meaningful talks between the two sides in coming days, for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of the ongoing conflict,” he said. It was not immediately clear if the U.S. and Iran had agreed to attend. Complicating Pakistan’s bid are the maximalist positions set out by the United States, Israel and Iran on what it would take to end the conflict. Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf earlier accused the U.S. of sending messages about possible negotiations while at the same time planning to send in troops, adding that Tehran was ready to respond if U.S. soldiers were deployed. “As long as the Americans seek Iran’s surrender, our response is that we will never accept humiliation,” he said in a message to the nation. Regional Powers Propose Plans to Reopen Strait of Hormuz Initial discussions between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt had focused on proposals to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, sources familiar with the matter said. Iran’s effective blockade of oil and gas shipments through the strait since the U.S. and Israel began attacking the country on February 28 is spreading economic pain around the world. As the conflict entered its second month, it showed no signs of slowing. Israel’s military said it had launched over 140 air strikes on central and western Iran, including Tehran, over the 24 hours to Sunday evening, hitting ballistic missile launch sites and storage facilities, among other targets. A chemical plant in southern Israel near the city of Beer Sheva was hit by a missile or missile debris as Israel fended off multiple salvos from Iran, prompting official warnings to the public to stay away due to “hazardous materials”. Another missile hit open ground near homes in Beer Sheva, located near several military bases, injuring 11 people. The war has killed thousands of people and hit countries across the Middle East: major aluminium plants in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates were damaged by air strikes over the weekend. The UAE is seeking reparations from Iran for attacks on civilians and vital facilities and guarantees to prevent any repetition, an adviser to the president said. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis joined the conflict on Saturday launching their first attacks on Israel and raising the prospect they could target and thus block a second key shipping route, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Analysts say renewed attacks there would pile further pressure on the world economy. U.S. Marines Start Arriving in Middle East Washington has dispatched thousands of Marines to the Middle East, with the first of two contingents arriving on Friday aboard an amphibious assault ship, the U.S. military has said. The Washington Post quoted U.S. officials as saying the Pentagon was preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, adding that it was not yet clear if President Donald Trump would approve such plans. Reuters has reported that the Pentagon has considered military options that could include ground forces. Washington said last week it had offered a 15-point ceasefire plan, with a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restrict Iran’s nuclear program, but Tehran has rejected the proposal and put forward alternatives of its own. Israel Hits Dozens of Targets Across Iran An Israeli official said Israel would continue carrying out strikes against Iran on what were described as military targets, adding there was no intention to scale back the campaign ahead of any possible talks between Washington and Tehran. A building housing Qatar’s Al-Araby TV in Tehran was hit on Sunday, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported, with video showing walls and windows blown out of the multi-story block. “The missile hit. The ceiling and everything fell on our heads. Unfortunately, we couldn’t continue to work. It was a real miracle we survived,” said Al-Araby camera operator Mohammadreza Shademan. “There was no military target here.” A European diplomat warned that any further military escalation could make it harder to bring the two sides together, potentially delaying the possibility by weeks, if not longer. Iranian threats against ships have kept most oil tankers from attempting the waterway. Iran has agreed to let an additional 20 Pakistani-flagged vessels pass through the strait, Pakistan’s Dar said, calling it a “harbinger of peace”. (Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by David Stanway and Crispian Balmer and Philippa Fletcher; Editing by Helen Popper, Alexander Smith and Ros Russell) The post Pakistan Prepares to Host Peace Talks as Iran Accuses US of Ground Assault Plans appeared first on The Daily Signal.

THE DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—ABC News anchor Jonathan Karl pressed Democratic Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen on Sunday over his party’s role in the ongoing partial government shutdown leaving the Department of Homeland Security largely without funding. Democrats have voted against funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as part of their opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They are demanding new operational restrictions following the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good in January. Karl suggested on “This Week” that Democrats’ refusal to fund DHS was causing unnecessary disruptions since ICE is partially funded. “I guess what’s confusing here is you have fought and blocked the funding for the Department of Homeland Security because you object, as you just outlined to what ICE has been doing, and you wanted to force changes,” Karl said. “And yet, the only thing that has been assured throughout all of this is that ICE already has the money, because as you said, $75 billion passed in the budget bill last year. So you’re holding up the entirety of the Department of Homeland Security because you object to ICE and you want changes to ICE. But through it all, ICE continues to have the money it needs.” Van Hollen disputed Karl’s comments, calling it “a false statement” that his party was “holding up all of the money” for DHS. He asserted his party has continuously advocated for funding the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Coast Guard. “We are not prepared to give ICE another $10 billion on top of the monies they already have and are using in many of these lawless operations,” the senator said. Karl retorted that Democrats’ resistance to the additional $10 billion for ICE was “holding up” funding for other DHS agencies. Van Hollen then interrupted Karl to claim his party was not the obstacle to DHS funding. “You’re holding up unless it doesn’t include money for ICE,” Karl doubled down. “That’s just a fact.” “Unless it doesn’t include money for ICE, a very reformed ICE. That’s right,” Van Hollen conceded. President Donald Trump’s administration deployed ICE agents to support TSA agents Monday as airport travellers face long lines due to the partial shutdown, which has left TSA agents without pay. Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman was the sole member of his party to support the full-year appropriations bill for DHS. Other Democrats have remained united in voting down opportunities to fund the entire department without sweeping reforms to ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). ICE and CBP are the only two agencies within DHS that have funding due to the GOP-backed One Big, Beautiful, Bill Act’s passage in July 2025. Originally published by The Daily Caller News Foundation. The post Jonathan Karl Confronts Chris Van Hollen Over ‘Holding Up’ DHS Funding appeared first on The Daily Signal.