Scoop: Ex-NATO Ambassador Says Trump's Iran Deal 'Worse' Than Before

Republican threatens to subpoena Bondi, CA supreme court halts GOP sheriff's ballot theft, city passes sweeping anti-data center law

Good evening. I’m John Byrne, in for British Chris.

There’s a lot to get into tonight: Trump’s new agreement with Iran is worse in every way than what we had before the war. His former attorney general is trying to duck accountability for burying the Epstein files. Judges just intervened to stop a Republican sheriff who seized ballots. And the nationwide fight against data centers just notched a major victory.

These are the kinds of stories the corporate media won’t cover. Billionaires with agendas are buying up newspapers, TV stations and social media platforms so they can control what you read, hear, and think. We launched Raw America because we believe the people deserve news free from the influence of far-right oligarchs. If that matters to you, become a paying subscriber to Raw America right now. The link is below.

Scoop: Obama’s NATO Ambassador Says Trump’s Ceasefire with Iran is ‘Worse’ Than Before

Trump is now threatening to walk away from NATO due to what he claims is a lack of support from the alliance for his war with Iran. Today, Raw America’s John Byrne sat down with Ivo Daalder, Barack Obama’s Ambassador to NATO, and what he had to say should be required reading for every American watching the Iran war unfold.

On the ceasefire: Daalder says the terms are already worse than what existed before the war began. Iran didn’t control the Strait of Hormuz before February 28. Now it does.

“The ceasefire,” Daalder told Raw America, “is already worse than what existed before we started the war.”

On who actually wanted this war: Daalder noted new reporting in the New York Times. His conclusion? Almost nobody inside the Trump administration thought this was a good idea. Rubio called Netanyahu’s regime change promises “bullshit.” CIA Director Ratcliffe called them “farcical.” The only two people who wanted this war, Daalder says, were Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump.

The U.S. has now depleted the advanced missiles and air defense systems it was holding in reserve for a potential conflict over Taiwan, Daalder added. It’ll take years to rebuild.

“If you’re in China,” Daalder said, “this is the best news that has ever happened to you.”

His bottom line: “I think this turns out to be a much greater strategic blunder than Iraq was. And Iraq was an extraordinary strategic blunder.”

The difference, he says, is that when we went into Iraq, China and Russia were smaller powers. They’re not small anymore. And they’re both directly benefiting from what Donald Trump has done.

Raw America got you this exclusive interview because subscribers helped pay for it. If this journalism matters to you, please become a paying subscriber today.

GOP Rep Won’t Let Bondi Dodge Epstein Questioning

The Justice Department tried something remarkable this week: it argued that fired Attorney General Pam Bondi doesn’t have to testify under oath about her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files because she’s no longer attorney general.

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace isn’t having it.

“Pam Bondi cannot escape accountability simply because she no longer holds the office of Attorney General,” her office said. Mace is pushing House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer to make clear that Bondi is still legally obligated to appear.

Mace teamed up with Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna to send Comer a letter noting that the Justice Department still hasn’t complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Bondi’s departure, they argued, doesn’t reduce the committee’s interest in her sworn testimony about what was withheld under her leadership.

Epstein survivors Maria and Annie Farmer added their voices to those calling for Bondi’s testimony. “The Department of Justice’s mishandling of the Epstein files not only betrayed the trust of survivors, but has left us with critical questions unanswered,” they said.

As of now, Bondi is still listed as attorney general on the Justice Department’s website and social media — which rather thoroughly undercuts the administration’s own argument for why she won’t comply.

California Supreme Court Stops MAGA Sheriff’s Ballot Theft

A Republican sheriff in California who seized more than 650,000 ballots from election officials last month has been ordered to stop.

The California Supreme Court stepped in Wednesday, ordering Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco to halt the probe and preserve all seized items while the court reviews the case.

Bianco, who’s running for governor, claimed he was investigating fraud in the November 2025 special election. He said a group of citizens believed they’d found irregularities after conducting their own audit of results in Riverside County.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta accused Bianco of seizing 650,000 ballots, misusing criminal investigatory tools, and creating a constitutional emergency.

The ballot question at stake was whether to approve a new Democratic-drawn congressional map. Voters statewide passed it, putting Democrats in position to gain up to five House seats in this fall’s midterms.

Bianco’s gubernatorial campaign also took a hit this week: Trump endorsed former Fox News host Steve Hilton, the other leading Republican in the race.

Wisconsin Passes Nation’s First Anti-Data Center Law

In a first-of-its-kind vote, the city of Port Washington, Wisconsin, passed a referendum Tuesday requiring that major projects receiving tax benefits get approval from local voters before moving forward.

The measure passed with about 66 percent support. It’s a direct response to a data center campus set to receive $458 million in local tax benefits — and it’s the first referendum of its kind in the country.

The vote comes amid a broader national backlash against data center construction driven by concerns about electricity prices, water usage, and environmental impact. Data Center Watch reported that twenty projects worth a combined $98 billion were blocked or delayed between March and June 2025. Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced a federal moratorium proposal in late March. And several major tech companies signed a White House pledge last month to cover rising consumer electricity costs tied to their data centers.

A lawsuit from the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce is already challenging the Port Washington referendum, arguing it could hurt regional investment.

Help Raw America Keep Growing

In addition to our interview with Ivo Daalder, Raw America is focused on bringing you exclusive interviews with newsmakers, giving you the kind of perspective you won’t find in billionaire-owned media outlets. We’re preparing to join the DC press pool and get access to the halls of the Capitol to get you breaking news straight from Congress. None of that is possible without paying subscribers. If you believe independent journalism matters, please subscribe today. It makes all the difference.

Thanks for reading. I’m John Byrne, with Raw America. We’ll see you tomorrow.

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STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED:

• Iran Ceasefire Deal Came About Due to Trump Privately Begging for End to War. New reporting from the Financial Times shows that President Donald Trump — not the Iranian government — was the one pushing the hardest for a ceasefire. The president reportedly had been lobbying for an end to hostilities since March 21, when oil prices were surging in response to Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

• Trump’s Threat to Tariff Countries That Arm Iran May Not Hold Up in Court. Trump on Wednesday threatened to impose tariffs on any country that sells weapons to Iran. However, because the Supreme Court limited his ability to unilaterally impose tariffs, his rhetoric may be little more than an empty threat. China would likely be the hardest hit by the proposed tariff given how it supplies Iran with drones, though China could retaliate with tariffs of its own that would significantly increase prices on various imported consumer goods.

• White House Using Imported Steel to Build Trump’s Ballroom. European steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal, which is based in Luxembourg, is donating roughly $37 million of steel to be used in Trump’s planned White House ballroom. Trump’s use of foreign steel comes despite Trump repeatedly defending his tariffs on imported goods as a way to protect American manufacturers, and may end up angering many of the unions and companies that supported his presidential campaign.

• Pro-Trump Hungarian Leader May Be Headed for Electoral Defeat. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is an outspoken supporter of the Trump administration, is facing a tough reelection battle ahead of Sunday’s parliamentary elections. Orban — who was first elected in 2010 — has used his power to dramatically reshape Hungary’s media and politics to entrench himself and enrich both himself and his allies. Vice President JD Vance recently traveled to Hungary to campaign for Orban, as his Fidesz party is currently trailing the opposition-led Tisza party by a considerable margin.

• RFK Jr. Announces New Podcast One Day After Damning New Allegations Revealed. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently announced he was launching a new media venture called “The Secretary Kennedy Podcast.” The announcement comes just one day after the publication of an excerpt from an upcoming biography about the HHS secretary. Biographer Isabel Vincent wrote that RFK Jr. frequently gaslit then-wife Mary Richardson Kennedy when confronted about his extramarital affairs, telling her she was “crazy” and that her accusations were simply fantasies. Richardson died by suicide in 2012, two years after Kennedy told her on Mother’s Day that he wanted a divorce. Kennedy is currently married to actor Cheryl Hines.