A media therapy session with the stages of grief — particularly anger and denial — was in full swing among the war's biggest proponents after President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran Tuesday night.
The ceasefire calls for a halt in the attacks, Israel included, in exchange for Iran opening up the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic. In the course of the two weeks, according to Trump, the U.S. and Iran will negotiate Iran's 10-point plan which among the points would include all sanctions on Iran lifted, all U.S. forces in the region withdrawn, control of Hormuz left in Iran's hands, a commitment of future non-aggression by the U.S., a complete cessation of fighting in the Israel-Hezbollah war, and an agreement that Iran could continue to enrich uranium for its nuclear power program (though the Israelis are already insisting the enrichment issue will be on the table).
For a brief moment, nothing exploded, except of course, the heads of those most invested in seeing Iran entirely annihilated and given absolutely no quarter.
Radio show host Mark Levin was already on the air saying Iran had broken the deal within a few hours of it being announced. "Here we have a ceasefire that they have already broken," Levin charged, referring to Hezbollah. "The 2-week ceasefire is being violated right now by the Iranian-Nazi regime. Missiles are being fired into Israel and perhaps other countries in the region. Are they able to defend themselves?
And then: "People of Iran, what are going to just leave them there, wash our hands over this? That's morally difficult to accept."
Laura Loomer who for all her White House influence couldn't stop this ceasefire from happening, called it "a negative for America."
"The ceasefire will fail. And Trump will be proven right about how this regime needs to be wiped out. It has already failed. The negotiation has been a failure so those who are celebrating while undermining Trump are misguided. This isn’t anything to write home about," she said, seemingly forgetting it was Trump who announced this — not his critics or enemies — and agreed earlier that there were "good things" in the 10 point plan.
It is a bit of a struggle, body-slamming the ceasefire while pulling your punches with guy who made it happen. Sen. Lindsey Graham who helped bring the president to war from the start, couldn't hide his disappointment, but he held his fire.
"As I stated before, I prefer diplomacy if it leads to the right outcome regarding the Iranian terrorist regime. I appreciate the hard work of all involved in trying to find a diplomatic solution. At this early stage, I am extremely cautious regarding what is fact vs. fiction or misrepresentation," he said, seemingly suggesting some Iranian spinning was afoot. Again, it is all in the president's original Truth Social post.
"That’s why a congressional review process like the one the Senate followed to test the Obama Iranian deal is a sound way forward." (Ah-ha! now he wants congressional input!) "Fair and challenging questions with a full opportunity to explain, and a healthy dose of sunlight is generally the right formula to understand any matter." Let's get this straight: there was no "full opportunity" to hear the administration explain or a "healthy dose of sunlight" on their decision to take the country into a disastrous war, but we'll be damned if we don't insist on it when the White House wants peace? Got it.
Fox News was platforming them all Tuesday night. In addition to Levin, retired Gen. Jack Keane was just ready to get back to bombing, because of course, the U.S. had the Iranians exactly where we wanted them, why stop now?
"If this blows up in our face we have to have the stomach to finish this militarily. I am skeptical about where we are heading with Iranians because I don't trust them. If the deal blows up it really comes down to Kharg Island...bend them to our will."
Also, as he is wont to do on Fox News, Keane flat our rearranged reality for the sympathetic audience saying that the deal that Trump said he would negotiate "gives us everything, they (Iran) would have to surrender everything that we would take away from them using military force." Hello?
Somewhat sharper minds see the 10-point plan for what it really is and responded accordingly. Mark Dubowitz of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies knows it's a no-go for anyone fighting for regime change and the elimination of the nuclear power and ballistic missile programs (which as you recall were two of the earlier stated objectives of this war). "A two-week pause makes sense if it leads to terms that permanently strips away the regime’s ability to threaten America and the region—not another deal that preserves fatal flaws," Dubowitz posted. "A deal only makes sense if it is followed by maximum support and maximum pressure campaigns to help the Iranian people to take back their country." So back to the status quo. Right. Not happening.
Hawk Marc Theissen seemed dazed, in disbelief. "There has to be something we don’t know. Because these 10 points are not a workable basis for negotiation," he posted.
There were plenty in torment, lashing out at the critics of the war because, well, they must be at fault. "So what happens when Iran kills more thousands of innocent people? Will the moralists cry out in anguish? Demand that they return to negotiations in good faith? Of course not. There's only one bad guy in their worldview, and the particulars don't make a difference," bleated Peter Laffin.
Levin ran through the stages of grief rapidly, even as he was on air.
"If we're not gonna completely take [Iran] out — because of the huge isolationist strain in the Democratic Party [and] among the Woke Right…how are we going to keep them in a box?" he wailed on Fox News.
"It can't be just, 'Peace in our time' and, 'We have a ten-point deal'...This enemy, make no mistake…they're not going to go away if there's no regime change!"
Someone get a doctor, these folks are going to blow.