Beltway Insider: Trump Launches Epic Fury, Iran Leader KIA, SOTU, Mid-Terms, 2028, Clinton’s Testify
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- Category: Haute This Issue
- Published on Saturday, 28 February 2026 16:44
- Written by Janet Walker
President Donald Trump, in the early morning hours, initiated a full scale attack on Iran, who has recently increased its global terror initiatives, rebuilt its nuclear arsenal and slaughtered tens of thousands of protesting citizens.
The President's job approval rating, according to the CNN featured in The New York Times for the period ending February 28, 2026, of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President increased by one percentage point to 38% and those who disapprove of his effectiveness as president decrease two percentage point to 61%. A slight 3% of the population polled have no opinion. Ratings are calculated weekly.
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Operation Epic Fury is the President's response to Iran determined resolve to escalate the production of nuclear weapons. In less than 24 hours after the commencement of the war, the body of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been found in the rubble of his compound after Israeli Defense Forces, who joined the United States in retaliatory strikes destroyed the former cleric's Tehran compound.
"While the president said the objective of the strikes is to "defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime," in his video about the attacks, Trump accused Iran of a litany of sins: from working to build a nuclear weapon to roadside bombs to a campaign of "mass terror" he said the regime has carried out against the U.S. "for 47 years," The Washington Post reported.
Iran has shown itself to be an untrustworthy partner in nuclear negotiations and has been directly linked to providing extensive funding to Hamas, and therefore indirectly responsible for the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in more than 70,000 Palestinians and 1200 Israelis slaughtered. The nation's trail of violence to further a war on the west and western allies is well known and documented.
The 1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis ushered in the only successful regime, followed by a successful change in government procedures, however it was short lived, dissidents fueling new attempts to usher in change while hardliners continued to squash freedoms, and destroy western influence, including education, and women's rights on any level. The extreme violence towards women has increased over the years, to such a degree that in December 2022, Mahsa Amini, 22, defied authorities and removed her veil, she was abducted by Iran's morality police, held in custody, tortured, beaten, and murdered.
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In the recent week, reports coming from Tehran indicate "Estimates of the number killed vary substantially, hampered by the ongoing internet shutdown. The Iranian government has acknowledged more than 3,000 dead, and the US-based organisation HRANA (Human Rights Activists News Agency), whose figures have been reliable during previous crackdowns, says it has verified more than 6,000 dead and has more than 17,000 more recorded deaths under investigation, giving a possible total of about 22,000. Other estimates from doctors based outside Iran range up to 33,000 or more," The Guardian reported.
In 2018, during the first Trump Administration, the president dissolved the nuclear treaty with Iran, allowing them to receive an insurgence of funding and the ability to reactivate and expediate its nuclear development program. As the president is determined is erase all accomplished of every other president, especially democrats, to leave only a trail of faux success or half successes to refer to, this frequent methodology has allowed these violent extremists lead to time to replenish, rebuild, initiate and commence terrorist activities, implementing widespread devastation.
"Iran promised to retaliate against U.S. bases across the Middle East. Seven Arab countries and Israel have reported missile attacks. The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait confirmed missiles hit their territory. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan and Qatar said they intercepted missiles. The Post verified at least one attack on U.S. Navy headquarters in Bahrain," The Washington Post reported.
President Trump has urged Iraqi citizens to rise up and take their government.
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State of the Union Key Points
President Trump delivered the annual State of the Union address, this week. As Mr. Trump enjoys the camera, and as a former reality television star, enjoys the airtime more. Brief and succinct, not being in his vernacular, even for a Trump address, his 2026 State of the Union yarned on, at 107 minutes became the longest in history.
An estimated 32 million Americans watched the 107 minute verbal sparring match, as many democrats shouted back denouncing certain points throughout his speech. As per usual many republicans, who approved of the President stood sporadically and applauded while Democrats remained seated. This was not Trump's finest hour nor his widest viewing reach.
"Trump never dipped below 37.1 million for his four addresses in his first term. He exceeded 40 million viewers from 2017 through 2019, with a peak of 47.7 million for his first one, Nielsen said," reported The Washington Post.
Mid-term Elections and 2028
With the midterm elections closer than this administration would prefer the President is attempting to find some opportunity to control the outcome and maintain control of the House, under the guise of international interference, which is essentially what provided his 2016 victory.
"The President has urged Congress to pass the SAVE Act and other legislative proposals that would establish a uniform standard of photo ID for voting, prohibit no-excuse mail-in voting, and end the practice of ballot harvesting," reported The Washington Post.
Many of the actions behind this initiative can be agreed on by all parties, and all want the election in the United States to be free from outside interference, and all mandates to ensure that each American citizen that desires is permitted to vote, (Non-citizens, including permanent legal residents, cannot vote in federal, state, and most local elections), and more to ensure that those who are permitted to vote, especially minorities, are provided all assistance in ensuring their vote is cast.
Elements within the president's SAVE Act including prohibiting no-excuse mail-in voting, failed to rouse the usual stampede of Republicans affixing themselves to the president's coattails, and the language was ultimately dropped.
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As the 2028 Presidential election looms, the Democratic National Committee is seeking to upend the current administration and looking for the team that has right stuff that will lure the apathic voter into the ballot booth.
Political strategists are contemplating the fantasy 2028 Democratic ticket, complete with the thrill of victory. Not being one to burst bubbles or balloons, the strategy is to find two individuals who can deliver the electoral college.
The 2016 and 2024 elections have provided a strong indicator of a democratic base, essentially these 227 electoral votes can be counted on to deliver in any elections, save for the rare 1980 Presidential election that saw California Governor Ronald Reagan secure 44 states and 489 electoral votes. The Democrats need to find a team that can deliver the south and granted the mid-terms will be a strong indicator of how challenging a task that will become, and the states outside those traditionally democratic stronghold
Delivering outside of the 227 traditionally guaranteed electoral votes narrows the ticket choices.
And as the saying goes, "once bitten, twice shy," two attempts at a female president has, unfortunately, caused a "twice shy" rift with potential big democratic donors. Granted, America needs to elect a female leader, will they? The energy infused into the right-wing extremists voter could cause a political backlash against female leadership, again the midterms will likely test this theory.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear appears to be the strongest to drive a wedge into the south for democrats. His Christian faith is mainstream; he has overwhelming been elected to three terms in a traditionally Republican state. He understand the south, southern values, and can bridge the voter divide.
"We still have to grapple with the fact that the Democratic Party has lost ground in many parts of the country, especially in rural America," he wrote after Democrats won big elections last November. His national profile is relatively low, but he could get some more traction with a book coming out later this year about his Christian faith," reported The Washington Post.
Those same reasons are why Governor Beshear will not be considered the lead man on the ticket.
Even as likely voters have voiced strong opposition to the current administration, how far they want to move away from it, is unclear. Finding that middle-ground democrat, not one who has been demonized, by the current administration, will make for a more palatable choice for republicans looking to redirect their support.
This election, both Republicans and Democrats, will need to win primaries. No one get the free pass on incumbency.
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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 February 28, 2026, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases reported by the World Health Organization increased by 9.620 to 779,125,257. The total worldwide death toll increased by 497 to 7,111,493 deaths. The United States has stopped providing Covid data to the World Health Organization. (Data updated February 8, 2026, from the World Health Organization).
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Clintons Bring Epstein "Political Theater" to Chappaqua
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton each testified this week near their home, in Chappaqua, New York.
Both the former President, whose name does appear in the released Epstein files, and has been pictured with Epstein's gal pal Ghislaine Maxwell, denied witnessing any events that gave him pause. "He added: "But even with 20/20 hindsight, I saw nothing that ever gave me pause. We are only here because he hid it from everyone so well for so long," reported The Washington Post.
Mrs. Clinton, who was also adamant stating, for the media, outside of the closed door congressional deposition, "I don't know how many times I had to say, I never met Jeffrey Epstein, I never went to his island. I never went to his home, So it is on the record numerous times."
Mr. Trump, who does appear in the Epstein files on 38,000 separate occasions, was unusually quiet regarding the testimony of his former 2016 democratic presidential rival and had nothing to say regarding former President Clinton appearing. The precedent set by forcing a former president to testify will undoubtedly be used to subpoena the current members of this administration at a later date.
After the more than six hour questioning, which did pause after a Republican Representative Lauren Boebert, snaped a cellphone image of the former Secretary of state, and sent it out to an influencer friend Benny Johnson, who posted it on his social media account X, a micro-messaging platform that has become increasingly used as a right wing messaging tool to spread disinformation. The deposition was then adjourned for about 30 minutes.
The lack of adherence to the parameters, set out in advance of the deposition by the Republican party should be a clear indication of they believe the rules don't apply to them under this administration. It also became abundantly clear the intent behind their pursuit of the former political power couple.
"There is no indication — zero, zip, zilch, nada — that Secretary Clinton had any knowledge of Epstein's crimes," said Representative James R. Walkinshaw, Democrat of Virginia. "My fear is we're here today as part of a political exercise, part of a long-running fever dream where Republicans want to lock up Secretary Clinton," The New York Times reported.
Beltway Insider: Trump, Royals, Billionaires Listed in Epstein Files, Clintons to Testify, WaPo Gutted, Mystic Camp Lawsuit
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.
