August 07, 2026

Good morning! Today is Friday, August 7th 2026, and this is The American Conservative's Morning Brief. On day 160 of the Iran conflict, Trump publicly denies reports he was blindsided over munitions shortages, even as Tehran signals openness to renewed talks and Brent crude holds above eighty-one dollars. Jack Hunter examines how progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed's Michigan primary win, and a rising crop of antiwar socialists, may be seizing the America First mantle from a GOP now backing neocon Mike Rogers. With Trump overseeing the very kind of foreign war he once vowed to avoid, figures like Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Thomas Massie are working to offer voters what they call a genuine America First alternative. and now for the details. We begin with the ongoing conflict with Iran, now in its 160th day. The Washington Post reported this week that President Trump, during a cabinet meeting at Camp David, pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on why he had apparently been misled about extreme munitions shortages. According to two sources familiar with the exchange, the president had believed those problems were already resolved. On Thursday, Trump publicly denied the reporting, posting on Truth Social that the United States has, in his words, massive amounts of munitions, with more being manufactured and shipped as needed. He also warned that leakers of what he called treasonous statements were being hunted down, and that long-term jail sentences would be sought. On the diplomatic front, Iran announced an agreement with Oman on a proposed shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, though an Iranian spokesman cautioned that the deal does not, on its own, mean the Strait is safe for passing vessels. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran is negotiating directly with Washington and has received signals of American readiness to return to prior commitments. At a Las Vegas event Wednesday, Trump said he would rather make a deal with Iran because he does not want to kill people. As Harrison Berger reports, the price of Brent Crude sat above eighty-one dollars a barrel Thursday morning, with the national average price of regular gasoline at four dollars and six cents per gallon. Turning to a striking political realignment shaping the Michigan Senate race. Progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed narrowly defeated Congresswoman Haley Stevens in Tuesday's primary, running hard against foreign aid, against AIPAC, and against U.S. military spending abroad. El-Sayed told Detroit Public Radio that tax dollars should be invested in American health care and education rather than sent overseas to buy bombs and tanks. President Trump promptly endorsed El-Sayed's Republican opponent, former Congressman Mike Rogers, calling him an America First patriot. As Jack Hunter reports, that label deserves closer scrutiny. Rogers is a Bush-Cheney Republican who voted for the Iraq War in 2002 and supported the full Global War on Terror package, from torture to mass surveillance. AIPAC endorsed him immediately after the primary. Hunter notes that Trump himself, in his second term, is now overseeing the very kind of foreign war he once vowed to avoid. Last week, only four House Republicans joined 210 Democrats in voting for a war powers resolution to end the war with Iran. Hunter points to a new crop of antiwar Democrats, from Claire Valdez in New York to Zohran Mamdani, who are picking up messaging that not long ago belonged to MAGA. Leftist podcaster Hasan Piker declared at El-Sayed's victory party that this movement represents the real America First. Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Thomas Massie, and Joe Kent are now working on a project to give voters what they call a genuine America First option. Hunter concludes that if socialist Democrats can make a better America First case than Republicans, that may say more about the Republicans than about their opponents. Those are today's highlights. For the full stories and more, visit theamericanconservative.com. Thank you for starting your morning with us.