KC

[KC @thekalebcross]

The only way through this problem is by cutting spending and raising taxes. Don’t see any other way. The question now becomes, who takes the hits?

[Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla]

$2 trillion deficits — in visual form.

(via B of A)

[Hedgeye @Hedgeye]

The U.S. Dollar has lost 30% of its purchasing power over the last six years

[KC @thekalebcross]

@PeterMallouk Peter I’ve always admired your consistent optimism and outlook on life. You and your company are a major asset to Kansas and people worldwide.

[KC @thekalebcross]

Thanks for playing!

[Jensen Huang @JensenHuang]

For my first post, I’m sharing a letter @NVIDIA signed on why open models matter.

AI will transform every industry, power every company, and be built by every country.

Open models strengthen safety and cybersecurity, accelerate innovation and diffusion, and enable sovereignty.

The world needs both frontier closed models and frontier open models.

https://t.co/AUKzoQ5Ikb

[KC @thekalebcross]

I pray to God that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine - whom I’ve always found to have an extremely solid head on his shoulders and an excellent leader for the US Military - has prepared a comprehensive plan to achieve strategic success while most importantly ensuring our men and women in boots are as safe as possible. God Bless America and Our Troops 🇺🇸

[KC @thekalebcross]

Make America Logical Again

[Hunter Biden @HunterBiden]

We are supposedly at war to stop Iran from enriching the uranium we “obliterated” over a year ago.

Yesterday we signed a deal to help Saudi Arabia enrich uranium.

The first time the United States has ever helped another country enrich uranium on foreign soil.

The Saudis refused the inspection protocol 140 other countries accept. Too intrusive, they said.

Trump agreed. He signed a national security waiver to get around the rule.

The Saudis paid Kushner $100 million. They put $2 billion into his firm. They put another $6 billion into LIV Golf, which pays Trump properties to host its tournaments. They signed ten billion dollars in Trump-branded real estate deals in Jeddah and Riyadh. All in just the last few years.

But sure. My paintings.

[KC @thekalebcross]

Thought that money was suppose to go to the farmers for soy, corn, wheat, etc? All lies. This is going to get worse before it gets better.

[Fox News @FoxNews]

BREAKING: President Trump says any future damage to ships or cargo will be paid for using Iranian funds under U.S. control.

Trump said, "From this point forth, any and all damages done to Ships, Cargo, or anything related thereto, will be paid for by Iranian Money that the United States has in its possession, and controls," adding that he believes it is "the fair and equitable thing to do."

[KC @thekalebcross]

@robin_j_brooks My offer still stands, Robin.

[KC @thekalebcross]

@robin_j_brooks Robin, when brent crude starts trading for at least $150 a barrel before the end of 2026, will you admit you were wrong and donate $50K to my charity of choice? Of course if I’m wrong the rules would equally apply to me. Thanks for your consideration.

[KC @thekalebcross]

@GrantCardone Grant when is the end of summer? You’re running out of time.

[KC @thekalebcross]

Oil up 40% since this tweet. There is nothing left of the SPR to meaningfully buy the price back down and real price discovery is about take place. Got oil?

[KC @thekalebcross]

The world is becoming more dangerous by the day. Wait until it realizes US oil reserves are at operational minimums in the next 4 weeks. You’ve been warned, God bless. ⏳

[KC @thekalebcross]

@CENTCOM Quit lying to the American people!

[Dan Hawkins @DanHawkinsKS]

60 Kansas attorneys are speaking out in support of giving Kansans a direct voice in selecting the justices who serve on our state's highest court.

As their statement puts it, "We believe the highest court in Kansas should be selected through a process that involves all Kansans."

I couldn't agree more. I encourage you to read what they have to say and vote YES on August 4.

https://t.co/78D47aoNj0

[KC @thekalebcross]

I can’t even imagine the levels of panic going through the White House these days.

[KC @thekalebcross]

Make America Logical Again

[Ilan Goldenberg @ilangoldenberg]

I’ve worked on Iran for nearly 20 years. Our options are never great, but I’ve never seen things this bad. For the first time in my career, I’m at a loss.

When this war began, I warned that Iran would likely emerge weakened but more aggressive and risk-tolerant—leaving the region trapped in a cycle of military clashes and chronic instability. That has happened. What I underestimated was the leverage Iran would gain through its stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz.

For a moment, the MOU offered a possible way out. It was deeply flawed, but better than the alternatives. Then vague terms and shoddy negotiating caused it to collapse: Iran believed it could retain some control over the Strait; Washington believed the Strait would reopen to international shipping.

But the fundamental problem wasn’t the negotiation. It was Trump’s catastrophic decision to go to war in the first place.

The result: higher oil prices, economic shocks, depleted US missile-defense stocks, immense regional damage and civilian suffering, alienated allies and very little achieved in return.

So what now?

We could pay Iran off through sanctions relief, oil exports and access to the international banking system. But after surviving forty days of war, Tehran is angry, distrustful and convinced it holds the stronger hand. Its price is so high – and so humiliating – that Trump will never accept it.

We could escalate militarily, which is what the US is doing. But bombing has not produced meaningful Iranian concessions, and Trump appears unwilling to bear the costs of the maximalist alternatives. More pressure means an expensive, dangerous and potentially endless war, with serious risks to US forces and the entire region as we tragically saw this weekend. And it has little chance of success.

Or we could encourage the Gulf states to negotiate a regional arrangement. That may ultimately be the most promising path, but the Gulf states are divided, this remains fundamentally a US-Iran conflict, and any agreement will require major American concessions while leaving Iran strategically stronger than it was before the war. So this isn’t very appealing and hard to get to as well.

The likeliest outcome is therefore that we are looking at a new normal: recurring US-Iran clashes, periodic American or Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, Iranian control over the SOH, higher oil prices and a larger, longer-lasting American military presence in the Middle East. But since the costs of all out escalation are too high both sides try to keep it from going there, though there is always a risk.

Iran’s leverage will eventually depreciate as countries build pipelines, diversify energy supplies and establish alternative trade routes. But that could take years.

Eventually, exhaustion may produce a deal. Iran may decide that controlling the Strait while living under blockade is unsustainable. Washington may accept that it must offer more. The Gulf states may finally unite around a workable diplomatic framework. But not soon.

Trump took a situation in which better options plainly existed, started an unnecessary war and produced a strategic disaster that will take years to unwind.
For now, we are all stuck with this mess.

[KC @thekalebcross]

@CrackasBCrackin @RogerMarshallMD My email was in response to his email. You should work on your reading comprehension skills before you puke out of your mouth next time. God bless.

[KC @thekalebcross]

Make America Logical Again

[Joe Kent @joekent16jan19]

In any chaotic situation, the side that restores order wins.

Ending the escalation cycle w/Iran and restoring the free flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz must be our top priority—not only for the sake of our economy, but for America’s standing as a global superpower.

There is no military solution to this conflict. The air campaigns are not working & a ground campaign would be a strategic disaster, producing heavy American casualties while further destabilizing the region.

Continued escalation only worsens the damage to the U.S., our partners, and the global economy.

Killing the Ayatollah has backfired: instead of fracturing the regime, it’s unified Iranians—including many who previously opposed the IRGC & the government— to now rally around the flag and the IRGC.

After months of bloodshed, basic human nature combined with nationalism & Shia martyrdom culture dictate that meaningful concessions from the Iranians via diplomacy are highly unlikely while U.S. forces remain within striking distance.

We restore order by ending the conflict on our terms: deprive Iran of military targets to strike by removing our troops, bases, & naval forces from the area.

Our bases in the region are liabilities & relics of the past—abandoning them is not retreat, it’s strategic adaptation to modern warfare.

This move removes Iran’s primary justification for disrupting shipping in the SOH and for attacking its neighbors. We can then offer the carrot: sanctions relief in exchange for freedom of navigation in the SOH.

The war has changed the region. Iran has emerged as a major regional power—the sooner we recognize this reality and adjust our posture accordingly, the stronger our position will be.

[Joe Kent @joekent16jan19]

In any chaotic situation, the side that restores order wins.

Ending the escalation cycle w/Iran and restoring the free flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz must be our top priority—not only for the sake of our economy, but for America’s standing as a global superpower.

There is no military solution to this conflict. The air campaigns are not working & a ground campaign would be a strategic disaster, producing heavy American casualties while further destabilizing the region.

Continued escalation only worsens the damage to the U.S., our partners, and the global economy.

Killing the Ayatollah has backfired: instead of fracturing the regime, it’s unified Iranians—including many who previously opposed the IRGC & the government— to now rally around the flag and the IRGC.

After months of bloodshed, basic human nature combined with nationalism & Shia martyrdom culture dictate that meaningful concessions from the Iranians via diplomacy are highly unlikely while U.S. forces remain within striking distance.

We restore order by ending the conflict on our terms: deprive Iran of military targets to strike by removing our troops, bases, & naval forces from the area.

Our bases in the region are liabilities & relics of the past—abandoning them is not retreat, it’s strategic adaptation to modern warfare.

This move removes Iran’s primary justification for disrupting shipping in the SOH and for attacking its neighbors. We can then offer the carrot: sanctions relief in exchange for freedom of navigation in the SOH.

The war has changed the region. Iran has emerged as a major regional power—the sooner we recognize this reality and adjust our posture accordingly, the stronger our position will be.

[Covie @covie_93]

America burns and Canada sends help.

Canada burns and trump sends threats.