Good afternoon, I’m Erick Erickson. These are your four things to know this afternoon. Let’s dive in.
First up — Israel builds its case for war with Iran, but the U.S. isn’t buying it. That’s according to reporting from The Wall Street Journal, which details how Israel has amassed intelligence to justify potential military action against Iran. But here’s the twist: the Biden holdovers and the deep-state types still embedded in various agencies — despite President Trump’s clear directive for a stronger stance — are reportedly dismissive of the Israeli case.
The Israeli government, facing existential threats as Iran edges closer to nuclear weapons capability, has presented what they say is fresh intelligence — intercepted communications, satellite imagery, and documentation of Iran’s nuclear advances. Israel’s case? Iran isn’t just enriching uranium; they’re preparing delivery systems. They’re not just defying the International Atomic Energy Agency — they’re daring the free world to stop them.
But here’s where reality collides with Washington groupthink. The so-called “experts” in our intelligence community, some of them relics of the Biden years, are urging caution, calling Israel’s case “inconclusive.” This is the same bureaucracy that once downplayed the threat of ISIS and misread Putin’s designs on Ukraine. And now, they’re telling us Israel — the one democracy in that region that has lived under existential threat since its founding — is overreacting.
We cannot let Washington’s permanent class slow-walk our support for Israel. President Trump has been clear: if Israel acts in its defense, America will stand with her. And frankly, it’s refreshing to have a Commander-in-Chief who understands that peace through strength isn’t just a slogan — it’s policy. Additionally, regardless of Iran’s stage of nuclear development, it is not in dispute that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons and President Trump has made clear that Iran must stop its nuclear weapons development.
Our second story pairs right with the first. As Axios reports today, President Trump has quietly authorized backchannel talks aimed at securing a ceasefire between Israel and Iran — or at least, to prevent broader escalation. Trump has tasked real negotiators, not the performative types.
What’s notable — and almost completely ignored by most legacy media — is how Trump’s approach differs from the Obama-Biden playbook. There are no pallets of cash flying to Tehran. There are no photo-op handshake deals that Iran will violate the minute the cameras stop rolling. Instead, this is classic Trump diplomacy: build leverage, project strength, negotiate from a position of power.
And that’s exactly what’s happening. Unlike the prior administration’s disastrous Iran nuclear deal — remember, the one that handed the mullahs billions and gave them breathing room to advance their weapons programs — Trump’s team is demanding Iran halt nuclear development before any sanctions relief or easing of pressure. No freebies. No appeasement. Just hard-nosed diplomacy.
Let’s also not miss the contrast between Trump’s statesmanship and the chaos of the Biden years. Under Biden, Iran enriched uranium and armed proxies across the region with near impunity. Under Trump, Iran knows that crossing certain red lines comes at a cost. That’s the conservative principle at work here: peace, but on America’s terms, not Tehran’s.
Our third story brings us back to our own backyard — and to the left’s hypocrisy on law and order. Brad Lander, New York City’s comptroller — essentially the city’s chief financial officer — was arrested for assaulted a federal immigration officer and impeding immigration officials.
Lander, who is also running for Mayor of New York and trying to get attention for his campaign, claims he was just observing the process. His supporters say he did not thing wrong. Federal authorities claim Lander was obstructing federal immigration officials efforts to detain illegal aliens and assaulted a federal officer.
Occam’s Razor can be applied here. Lander’s campaign is failing. He needs free media attention. Like Alex Padilla in California, he decided to cause a commotion and them blame Trump because, of course, progressives will easily blame Trump instead of seeing the truth.
And finally, some rare good news at the border. According to The New York Post, U.S. Border Patrol agents didn’t release a single illegal migrant into the interior of the United States last month. Zero. Nada. That’s a dramatic shift — and one that owes much to the Trump administration’s reassertion of authority over border policy.
The open-borders crowd is calling it “inhumane” and “xenophobic.” But here’s the truth: this is what enforcing the law looks like. This is what sovereignty looks like.
For years, we were told by progressives that stopping releases was impossible without congressional action. We were told our facilities couldn’t handle the numbers, that our courts were too backed up, that compassion required catch-and-release. But what we’re seeing is that with the right leadership, with clear direction from the top, and with a President committed to securing the border, our agents can in fact enforce the law.
And the results speak for themselves. Communities along the border are safer. The message to would-be illegal crossers is clear: don’t come. And our nation, long mocked by its own elites as incapable of controlling its borders, is proving otherwise.
This also highlights a fundamental conservative truth: government works best when it sticks to its core duties — defending the nation, enforcing the law, securing the border. And that’s exactly what’s happening now. Credit where it’s due — President Trump promised to secure the border, and despite resistance from the left and activist judges, he’s delivering.
So there you have it — four stories that define the moment we’re in:
– Israel preparing to defend itself as Iran inches toward nuclear capability — while too many in Washington cling to dangerous illusions.
– President Trump pursuing peace through strength, not surrender.
– Progressive elites in our cities choosing lawbreaking and radicalism over responsibility.
– And a border policy that, for once, prioritizes the American people over the demands of the global left.
That’s the news conservatives need to know this afternoon. I’m Erick Erickson, and this has been your Afternoon Briefing. Stay informed, stay vigilant — and as always, keep the faith.
