Donald Trump may be doubling down on the utterly stupid war he has already lost
Almost certainly, something is afoot
Is the war with Iran about to get hot again?
According to Raw Story, J. D. Vance’s “unplanned return [to the White House] was just one piece of a larger set of events that sent X into overdrive on Friday [May 22]. Conservative content creator Matt Van Swol stitched several of them together in a single post that quickly went viral.
“‘Just in the last 24 hours: [Donald] Trump skips his own son's wedding. JD Vance + Hegseth race back to the White House. Chief of Staff posting videos of B-2 bombers,’ Van Swol wrote. ‘Something MASSIVE must be about to happen. What is going on??!!!!’
“The reference to B-2 bombers, the U.S. military's stealth long-range strategic platform historically associated with strikes on fortified targets, added another layer to the online chatter. So did the fact that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was reportedly returning to the White House at the same time as the VP.”[1]
For his part, Trump claims “[a]n Agreement [with Iran] has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries, as listed. Separately, I had a call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel, which, likewise, went very well. Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly. In addition to many other elements of the Agreement, the Strait of Hormuz will be opened.”[2] Of course, Trump has said this many times before, often to Iranian denials, and without such an agreement coming to fruition.
On the other hand, the clues Van Swol cite seem to me to suggest terrible operational security. Of course, this administration is much more notable for hubris and stupidity than it is intelligence.
Those clues could also suggest a sudden decision—or perhaps a sudden reversal of a previously made decision. But the Raw Story article was published at 3:30 pm on May 23rd.[3] Trump posted at 4:30 pm on the same day.[4] (Both times are likely Eastern.) This is the reverse of a timeline indicating a war about to get hot again. The magnitude of the clues that Van Swol cites, however, lead me to strongly suspect that any claim of a deal is yet again meant to pretend peace prior to an attack.
[1] David McAfee, “Rumors fly as Vance makes ‘unplanned’ U-turn to White House: ‘Something massive,’” Raw Story, May 23, 2026, https://www.rawstory.com/rumors-jd-vance-fly-iran/
[2] Donald J. Trump, “I am in the Oval Office . . .,” Truth Social, May 23, 2026, https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116625784011805994
[3] David McAfee, “Rumors fly as Vance makes ‘unplanned’ U-turn to White House: ‘Something massive,’” Raw Story, May 23, 2026, https://www.rawstory.com/rumors-jd-vance-fly-iran/
[4] Donald J. Trump, “I am in the Oval Office . . .,” Truth Social, May 23, 2026, https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116625784011805994