Putin Faces Homefront Crisis Over Billion-Dollar Humiliation thedailybeast.com/putin-face…
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Aug 18, 2026
Articles and Tweets
Articles and Tweets
Fire reported near Moscow as Ukraine launches dozens of drones towards Russian capital. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said that at least 63 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Moscow Oblast during the attack. https://kyivindependenm/fires-reported-near-moscow-as-ukraine-launches-dozens-of-drones-towards-russian-capital/🇷🇺🇮🇷 Russia is reportedly shipping explosives to Iran to help it fight the U.S.
Moscow is sending TNT, drone parts, and ammunition to Tehran to rebuild its missile and drone arsenal after months of war with America.
The deliveries allegedly move across the Caspian Sea, a route conveniently out of reach of Western navies and sanctions, on more than two dozen mostly-sanctioned Russian ships.
Analysts think it’s a sign U.S. and Israeli strikes have hit Iran’s weapons factories hard enough that it now needs outside suppliers.
Russia and Iran are fighting separate wars, but with Washington looming over both, they’re clearly leaning on each other to get through them.
Source: NBC News / Writer: Julie
— @MarioNawfal Aug 18, 2026
#CIA #FBI #Mossad
33% !
x.com/mikenov/status/2089699…Michael Novakhov (@mikenov)Trump’s 33% approval: analyze. – AI ModePresident Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 33% due to intense public dissatisfaction with the prolonged war in Iran and its subsequent economic fallout. This mark, documented in a Reuters/Ipsos survey, ties the lowest level of his entire presidency (first recorded in December 2017) and marks a major low point for his second term. [1, 2, 3]
The Core Drivers Behind the Decline
An analysis of recent polling reveals that Trump’s drop to 33% approval and 64% disapproval is rooted in two deeply interconnected issues: [3]The War in Iran: Trump heavily campaigned on avoiding long-lasting foreign wars and initially predicted a swift victory. However, roughly 80% of Americans now believe the conflict will drag on for an extended period. Only one in five Americans believe the war has been worth the cost. [1, 3, 4]
Economic Strain & Inflation: The conflict has paralyzed roughly a fifth of the global oil trade, resulting in spiked domestic petrol and gas prices. A massive 76% of Americans disapprove of his handling of the cost of living, and economic specific approval has sunk to roughly 30%. [1, 5]Polling Breakdown and the “Political Floor”
The current numbers highlight a stark partisan divide, but also show eroding support among groups that previously swung toward him:Independent & Swing Voters: The primary downward momentum is driven by independent voters who have heavily turned against the administration’s Middle East policies and economic management. [6, 7]
Demographic Lows: According to matching data from YouGov, Trump’s net approval has reached historic personal lows among women (-36 net) and college graduates (-42 net). [8]
The Republican Floor: Despite broad national blowback, Trump retains roughly 71% to 82% approval among registered Republicans. Political data analysts note that this intense hyper-polarization effectively acts as a “floor,” making it unlikely his baseline support will drop much below the 30% to 33% threshold unless a severe domestic recession or large-scale U.S. ground troop deployment occurs. [3, 6, 9]Midterm Implications
This 33% benchmark is creating significant anxiety for the Republican party ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections. Historically, a sitting president polling below 40% faces severe headwinds, making it exponentially harder for the party in power to retain thin congressional majorities. Current generic congressional polling shows Democrats holding a notable 6-point lead in voter intent. [1, 3, 4, 8, 10][1] scmp.com
[2] thehill.com
[3] seekingalpha.com
[4] youtube.com
[5] youtube.com
[6] facebook.com
[7] youtube.com
[8] yougov.com
[9] facebook.com
[10] facebook.com— https://x.com/mikenov/status/2089699183326322689— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Aug 18, 2026
Trump’s 33% approval: analyze. – AI Mode
President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 33% due to intense public dissatisfaction with the prolonged war in Iran and its subsequent economic fallout. This mark, documented in a Reuters/Ipsos survey, ties the lowest level of his entire presidency (first recorded in December 2017) and marks a major low point for his second term. [1, 2, 3]
The Core Drivers Behind the Decline
An analysis of recent polling reveals that Trump’s drop to 33% approval and 64% disapproval is rooted in two deeply interconnected issues: [3]The War in Iran: Trump heavily campaigned on avoiding long-lasting foreign wars and initially predicted a swift victory. However, roughly 80% of Americans now believe the conflict will drag on for an extended period. Only one in five Americans believe the war has been worth the cost. [1, 3, 4]
Economic Strain & Inflation: The conflict has paralyzed roughly a fifth of the global oil trade, resulting in spiked domestic petrol and gas prices. A massive 76% of Americans disapprove of his handling of the cost of living, and economic specific approval has sunk to roughly 30%. [1, 5]Polling Breakdown and the “Political Floor”
The current numbers highlight a stark partisan divide, but also show eroding support among groups that previously swung toward him:Independent & Swing Voters: The primary downward momentum is driven by independent voters who have heavily turned against the administration’s Middle East policies and economic management. [6, 7]
Demographic Lows: According to matching data from YouGov, Trump’s net approval has reached historic personal lows among women (-36 net) and college graduates (-42 net). [8]
The Republican Floor: Despite broad national blowback, Trump retains roughly 71% to 82% approval among registered Republicans. Political data analysts note that this intense hyper-polarization effectively acts as a “floor,” making it unlikely his baseline support will drop much below the 30% to 33% threshold unless a severe domestic recession or large-scale U.S. ground troop deployment occurs. [3, 6, 9]Midterm Implications
This 33% benchmark is creating significant anxiety for the Republican party ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections. Historically, a sitting president polling below 40% faces severe headwinds, making it exponentially harder for the party in power to retain thin congressional majorities. Current generic congressional polling shows Democrats holding a notable 6-point lead in voter intent. [1, 3, 4, 8, 10][1] scmp.com
[2] thehill.com
[3] seekingalpha.com
[4] youtube.com
[5] youtube.com
[6] facebook.com
[7] youtube.com
[8] yougov.com
[9] facebook.com
[10] facebook.com— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Aug 18, 2026
Daily News Briefing: August 18, 2026 share.gemini.google/QW6hHUfm…
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Aug 18, 2026
BREAKING: 🇮🇱🇹🇷 Israel attacked Turkish assets in Syria
They struck Turkish military equipment at an airfield in Idlib
U.S. Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, called it an ‘unnecessary escalation’ by Israel.
— @Megatron_ron Aug 18, 2026
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Michael_Novakhov shared this story from  Al Jazeera – Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera.
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New poll found a majority of US citizens concerned about the US war on Iran.
The approval rating of United States President Donald Trump has fallen to the lowest level of his presidency, with an overwhelming majority of Americans concerned that the US-Israel war on Iran will last a long time.
Just 33 percent of respondents approved of Trump’s job performance, according to the Reuters/Ipsos poll. The approval rating is the lowest ever during this term and matches the lowest seen in December 2017 during his first term.
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The poll, conducted over the course of four days, found 64 percent of Americans disapproved of how he is handling his job.
The slide in polling figures comes as an overwhelming majority of Americans are concerned by the continuing war on Iran. Consumers have seen the price of fuels rise dramatically since the war began in February, with the cost of gasoline [petrol] up nearly a third compared to a year ago, according to the American Automobile Association.
Trump, who campaigned on promises to keep inflation in check and avoid long-lasting wars, initially pledged that the conflict with Iran would take a few weeks. He argued the war was the only way to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon that could threaten the world. But Iran has proved resilient and has kept the oil and gas export trade through the Strait of Hormuz largely bottled up even as the conflict has cooled.
On Friday, Trump told a rally of supporters that paying “a tiny little bit more for your gasoline” is worth the cost of ensuring “a very evil country,” meaning Iran, could not have a nuclear weapon.
Some 80 percent of Americans, including 87 percent of Democrats and 71 percent of Republicans, think US involvement in Iran “will go on for an extended period of time”, the Reuters/Ipsos poll found. Just 16 percent said the conflict would likely end in a few weeks.
A Politico poll recently showed just a third of self-identified Make America Great Again (MAGA) voters, typically the most unquestioning of Trump’s base, felt the economic costs of the war with Iran were worth it.
New poll found a majority of US citizens concerned about the US war on Iran.The approval rating of United States President Donald Trump has fallen to the lowest level of his presidency, with an overwhelming majority of Americans concerned that the US-Israel war on Iran will last a long time.Just 33