Beltway Insider: Trump/Addresses Nation, Iran War, MIA Aviator, Bondi Out, Gas Prices, Olympics Ruling

Details

Category: Haute This Issue

Published on Saturday, 04 April 2026 16:41

Written by Janet Walker

President Trump addressed the nation this week, hoping to assuage concerns over the continuing Iranian war, and assure voters that the United States is fully in control of the ever widening war, and expects a quick resolution.

The President's job approval rating, according to the CNN poll featured in The New York Times for the period ending April 4, 2026, of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President decreased by one percentage point to 35% and those who disapprove of his effectiveness as president increased by two percentage point to 64%. A slight 3% of the population polled have no opinion. Ratings are calculated weekly.

Beltway Insider: Trump/Iran War Widens, Troops Injured, Sabotages Party, Gas Prices, Hawaii Disaster, Air Canada Crash

Trump Addresses the Nation on Iranian Objective

President Trump addressed the nation this week, from the White House, in an 19-minute war update, as he attempts to calm Americans over the growing concerns, that this conflict will continue indefinitely, causing consumer prices to continue to rise.

While the President has explained this is a fight for the safety of the next generation, for many who have seen the regime changes in Iran, has the president left the Iranian Nuclear Deal hammered into place by former Obama Administration Secretary of State John Kerry, which had the nuclear program shut down and locked up, the current situation, in terms of the costs including causalities, rising consumer prices, and a protracted involvement in the middle east, could have been avoided.

President Trump is not the only president that has avowed that Iran would never possess a nuclear weapon. In fact, he announced the United States' withdrawal from the Iranian Nuclear Treaty—formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—on May 8, 2018, which had been completed, over two years of negotiations, between the United States, the P5 +1 founding members of the United Nations Security Council, Israel, and Iran as he considered the deal to beneficial to the Iranians.

Now, nearly ten years later after the president lifted the sanctions and allowed Iran the freedoms to build its nuclear program, he has returned to the scene of the crime so that his signature can be the superseding authority on ending the Iranian nuclear program.

Former Obama Administration Secretary of State John Kerry said in announcing the success of the negotiation, "in September of 2013, we were facing an Iran that had already mastered the nuclear fuel cycle; already stockpiled enough enriched uranium that, if further enriched, could arm 10 to 12 bombs; an Iran that was already enriching uranium to the level of 20 percent, which is just below weapons-grade; an Iran that had already installed 10,000-plus centrifuges; and an Iran that was moving rapidly to commission a heavy water reactor able to produce enough weapons-grade plutonium for an additional bomb or two a year. That, my friends, is where we already were when we began our negotiations."

Holding Iran hostage by dictating non-negotiables terms of surrender, may serve to rally the American public into support, but kitchen table economics dictate their vote, and for those who have lived through the continued unrest of the Middle East, and the saber rattling of Iran, Iraq, Israel, and a wider war, the threat of nuclear war it has lost its strength to sway voters.

The American public, and possibly the global population has come to a similar conclusion, provide allied support to Israel, attempt to deescalate and lower the temperature of a widening Middle East war, and if that proves impossible, and Israel refuses to cease aggression, withdraw military operations.

A peace plan only works when both sides are willing to cease military aggression.

World News: From Saigon to Tehran

Fighter Pilot Missing in Iran

After President Trump announced to the nation the success of Operation Epic Fury, which has resulted in U.S. strikes on over 12,300 targets in Iran, heavily damaging or destroying missile production facilities, command centers, and over 150 naval vessels and other critical infrastructure vital to its war strategy, including on the immediate destabilizing the government by killing all leaders, and further destabilization of military sites, the Iranian military responded and shot down two U.S. aircraft.

The pilot of the F-15 Strike Eagle maintain composure and flew out of Iranian airspace before ejecting. One crew member has been recovered. Currently, both the United States, and Iranian officials are searching for the second crewmember. Iran has put a bounty on the solider, and will hang him in the street, if he is not recovered by U.S. forces first.

The second aircraft, a single pilot A-10 Thunderbolt managed to escape Iranian airspace and ejected in Kuwait. The plane also crashed in Kuwait.

With the war expected to last another six weeks, more than a dozen soldiers have been killed and many others injured.

Even as Mr. Trump has indicated the United States forces have been able to significantly weaken the ability to the Iranian military to launch a counter-offensive, the Iranian government is accustomed to its position and sees it status as one that carries the element of surprise and unexpected.

"Instead of seeking to fight the U.S. and Israel toe to toe, Iran has adopted an asymmetric strategy, targeting Arab Gulf states, knocking out radars and other facilities critical to air defenses and shutting down most tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. It is a tactic that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, often called the IRGC, the powerful Iranian military organization running the war effort, also used to kill hundreds of American troops in Iraq by arming proxy militias with improvised-explosive devices," The Wall Street Journal reported.

World News: The Dominoes of Mesopotamia

IWMF Calls for Information, Immediate Release of Shelly Kittleson

"American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson was abducted in Baghdad, Iraq. Her conditions and whereabouts remain unknown as Iraqi officials search for her captors. The International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) is deeply alarmed by this developing situation and concerned for Kittleson's well-being. Kittleson is a U.S. citizen currently based in Rome, who has previously reported for outlets including Al-Monitor, Foreign Policy, BBC, and Politico. Her courageous reportage has covered conflict zones across the Middle East; she is a legitimate journalist simply doing her job to bring truth to the global public. The IWMF is closely monitoring this situation as new details emerge. Our thoughts are with Kittleson's loved ones and colleagues." Elisa Lees Muñoz, President, International Women's Media Foundation.

Trump Fires U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi

President Trump this week, terminated the services of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who held the position for a little more than a year.

Many saw the termination as a surprise, as on the day of her resignation she accompanied the president to the U.S. Supreme Court's oral arguments on Birthplace Citizenship, and for Trump watchers, it is likely she is the first of many who will be departing as during his first administration he replaced nearly his entire cabinet after two years.

Bondi, who was unfortunately the front face for the fallout over the Epstein Files, and even in her attempts to shield the president she failed. Her effort to defend the president became a millstone and try as she might, each statement associated with the Epstein Files appeared to be a passive aggressive attempt indicating guilt.

"Bondi's departure makes her the second Cabinet secretary Trump has ousted in the span of weeks, following his decision last month to remove Kristi L. Noem as homeland security secretary. Within minutes of Trump's announcement Thursday, names of possible successors began circulating among Republican lawmakers, conservative influencers and prominent Trump allies," The Washington Post reported.

Moreover, her attempts to strike at Trump's most hated enemies, former FBI Director James B. Comey, and New York Attorney General Letitia James, failed, and she was held accountable. She was also scheduled to testify, for the third time later this month, before the House oversight committee on the Epstein files.

Trump praised Bondi calling her a "patriot."

Todd Blanche, the president former attorney, has been named Interim U.S. Attorney General.

World News: Iranian War Highlights Defense Department Weaknesses

Gasoline Prices Continues to Rise

With gas prices continuing to rise, the sticker shock of the week comes from a small gas station, situated along the Big Sur coastline, on the Pacific Coast Highway, Gorda-by-the-Sea, where the price of gas comes in at $9.99 a gallon. The owner, Lee Flores, explained that the near $10.00 per gallon shock was only limited to his older pumps which have a price display allowing only three digits.

"They probably could charge $20 a gallon, and if you have to get gas, you have to get gas," Debbie Carignan, traveling from Southern California, told KSBW.

As consumers continue to see the price of gas rise, understanding the elements that are considered when setting the price at the pump may not help when it comes to sticker shock, but it is helpful when you realize your local station owner is only earning about 0.15 to 0.35 cents per gallon.

Between state and federal taxes, on average about 0.55 cents of each gallon, covers both. Some states have additional taxes, like California, which charges upwards of $1.00 per gallon in taxes.

"On average, typical margin: ~15–35 cents per gallon; High-efficiency / high-volume stations: up to ~30–40 cents per gallon, Low-volume / independent stations: often much lower. But margins aren't fixed—they depend heavily on price direction: Rising prices: Stations often lose margin temporarily because their replacement cost is higher than what they're currently selling for. Falling prices: Stations may gain margin briefly as they sell higher-cost inventory before lowering prices. Most stations rely far more on inside sales (snacks, drinks, etc.) for profit than fuel itself," Patrick De Haan of Fuel Insights reports.

Medical Science: Understanding the Science Behind Alzheimer’s Disease

Coronavirus Total

At the order of the President of the United States, the U.S. no longer recognizes the value of The World Health Organization. The CDC has recommended every person from age six months, including senior citizens should receive at least one shot of an updated COVID-19 vaccine, annually.  The death toll from Covid-19 has dramatically decreased, as has transmission of the virus. Even as confirmed new cases continue each week, fewer are dying from each new variants.

For the 7 days ending April 4, 2026, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases reported by the World Health Organization increased by 3,500 to 779,177,817. The total worldwide death toll increased by 480 to 7,113,407 deaths. The United States has stopped providing Covid data to the World Health Organization. (Data updated March 15, 2026, from the World Health Organization).

Medical Science: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Gender Reversal

Kirsti Noem's Husband Outed as Cross-Dressing Kink

Bryon Noem, the husband of former Director of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, who slandered the memories of murder victims Alex Pretti, and Renee Goode during the Minneapolis ICE raids, has been exposed as a cross-dresser, who regularly joins a Bimbofication, a fetish group that includes dressing up with disproportionally large breasts, and domination kink

'"A fetish cam girl who says she was paid $5,000 over the past two years to dominate Kristi Noem's husband while he wore big false boobs has told the Daily Beast: "There is no way in hell that she did not know." Lydia Love, 28, is a high-profile performer in the "sissy sub" and "bimboification" world, a niche area of the adult industry where men adopt an ultra-feminine persona, often involving cross-dressing, and like to be bossed around," The Daily Beast reported.

It is rumored to be one of the most talked about secrets in Washington.

Olympic Committee Rules on Transgender Athletes

The International Olympic Committee ruled this week that transgender women athletes would not be permitted to compete.

"The White House cheered the decision Thursday, noting in a statement that Trump signed an executive order in February 2025 that aims to ban transgender athletes from participating in women's and girls' sports by denying federal funds for schools that allow it. At the time, the president said that his administration would "not allow men to beat up, injure and cheat our women and our girls," reported The Washington Post.

For more information on President Donald Trump: Whitehouse.gov.

Sources: Various © Articles covered by Copyright protection.

Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade.  A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Ms. Walker has completed five award-winning screenplays "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She has also published "Unholy Alliances: A True Crime Story," a non-fiction narrative, "Days, Times, Seasons, and Events: A Collection of Poetry & Prose," and "Songs of Freedom: A Collection of Biblical Teachings," which can be purchased here. She is a member of the Authors Guild, the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and a member of the International Federation of Journalists.