MMN Editor

President Donald Trump hailed the swift prosecution of the military campaign against Iran, but acknowledged there are terrorist “sleeper cells” in the U.S. that have to be watched and dealt with.Trump said during a press gaggle Wednesday that he has been briefed on terror alerts and threats, including reported plans to conduct a drone attack in California, but he warned that any terrorists present in the country now might be the result of former President Joe Biden’s “stupid open border.””A lot of people came in through Biden with his stupid open border, but we know where most of them are: We’ve got our eye on all of them, I think,” Trump said.”They came in through the open-border policies of Sleepy Joe Biden, one of the worst — the worst president in the history of our country — and we’ve got our eyes on all of them,” the president added.TOP IRANIAN CYBERCRIMINAL ON FBI MOST WANTED LIST REPORTEDLY KILLED IN US-ISRAELI STRIKE”But the war itself is being prosecuted at a level that nobody has seen before,” Trump continued. “It’s pretty — it’s pretty amazing to watch.”When asked about a leaked law enforcement bulletin put out about a possible Iran revenge plot in California where a potential offshore boat might launch a drone swarm, Trump replied, “It’s being investigated, but you have a lot of things happening, and all we can do is take them as they come.”US DESTROYS 16 IRANIAN MINE BOATS AS STRAIT OF HORMUZ OIL SHOWDOWN ESCALATES”The war itself is being prosecuted as well as anybody has ever seen, and this is other countries telling me too,” he continued. “Big countries, powerful countries, they said they’ve never seen anything like it. And they also agree with what I’m doing. They say it’s an evil country, and it’s been for 47 years that way.”The warning of a California drone swarm attack is not new, having originated in February, but law enforcement has re-upped the monitoring amid Iran threats to retaliate against Israel and the U.S.

Goldman Sachs economists Manuel Abecasis and David Mericle in a new research note looked at the economic implications of the Iran war on the U.S. economy.

The company sees ways to integrate quantum processors with CPUs and GPUs in modern supercomputers — years before large-scale quantum computers have their moment

Worries come despite International Energy Agency members agreeing to release the largest ever amount of oil from emergency supplies.

Oil Soars As 2 Oil Tankers Explode In Persian Gulf, Iraq’s Oil Ports Stop Operations

 Top headlines of conflict 

Oil prices surge as two oil tankers are attacked and explode in Iraqi waters, forcing Iraq to stop operations at its oil ports and sending oil toward $100/bbl.

‘Largest wave of missiles since hostilities began’ launched into northern Israel by Hezbollah

The US Navy said it was ‘too dangerous’ to escort tankers through still.

President of Iran demands reparations and guarantees against future aggression.

Trump says the war with Iran will end soon, as there is ‘practically nothing left to target.” 

Yet U.S. and Israeli officials plan at least two more weeks of strikes

U.S. forces destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s drone production has been significantly degraded.

The IEA is preparing its largest-ever emergency crude oil release to counter surging Brent and WTI prices.

Casualty estimates: over 1,200 killed in Iran from U.S./Israeli strikes (plus civilian reports), 13 deaths in Israel from Iranian retaliation, and 140 U.S. service members wounded (mostly minor).

*  *  *

Update (1850ET): As night fell across the Middle East, Hezbollah launched a huge wave of at least 150 rockets rained down on northern Israel (Times Of Israel):

Lebanese terror group Hezbollah showered rockets and drones at northern Israel for hours, repeatedly sending hundreds of thousands of Israelis to shelters on Wednesday evening.

It marked the largest Hezbollah attack on Israel since hostilities intensified earlier this month, as the terror group began attacks to support its sponsor, Iran, which is under intense attack from a joint US-Israel air campaign that began on February 28.

An opening salvo of 100 rockets was launched around 8 p.m. as a missile from Iran targeted the central region of the country, in what Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said was a coordinated attack. More Iranian missiles targeted the north and south of the country.

Footage shows Hezbollah’s large rocket barrage on northern Israel this evening. Around 100 rockets were fired, according to IDF assessments. pic.twitter.com/8wuG6J8kgg
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 11, 2026
This was followed by reports that two oil tankers have been hit by ‘explosive boats’ and were on fire in the Persian Gulf.

حريق كبير في ناقلة نفط قرب ميناء أم قصر جنوبي العراق. ترجيحات بأن النيران ناتجة عن استهداف مباشر للناقلة. pic.twitter.com/sc2rnsk8vd
— MUSTAFA SAADOON (@SaadoonMustafa) March 11, 2026

🚨 BREAKING: One of the oil tankers that was attacked by Iranian explosive boats in the Persian Gulf belongs to US based company @safeseagroup pic.twitter.com/4ogzMJLnae
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) March 11, 2026

Apparently there are two unknown foreign tankers that have caught fire in Iraq’s territorial waters.
Stay connected, follow @MOSSADil. https://t.co/rI2C2thgfv pic.twitter.com/fHBP6tbWPO
— Mossad Commentary (@MOSSADil) March 11, 2026

Two foreign tankers carrying Iraqi fuel oil have been subjected to unidentified attacks within Iraqi territorial waters, causing both vessels to catch fire, according to security sources cited by Baghdad Today and according to the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO). The tankers are 

Tanker SAFESEA VISHNU, flying flag of Marshall Islands and chartered by one of Iraqi companies contracted with SOMO
Tanker ZEFYROS, flying flag of Malta and carrying condensate produced by Basra Gas Co.
The tankers – whose cargo was naphtha and condensate, both extremely flammable – were attacked while present in loading area.Tanker ZEFYROS was scheduled to head to Khor Al-Zubair Port on March 12 to load additional 30,000 tons shipment of naphtha. This incident negatively affects Iraq’s security and economy and also represents a threat to safety of maritime navigation and oil activities within Iraqi territorial waters, SOMO says.

The attack occurred in the waiting area near the Khor Abdullah waterway, approximately 11 miles from the export port caused a fire on the tanker, leading to significant damage to its structure.

According to an Iraqi port official speaking to the Reuters news agency, authorities have successfully evacuated 25 crew members from the two ships. Despite these efforts, the fires have remained ablaze on both vessels.

One tanker, which was flying a foreign flag, is believed to be American, though its specific nationality has not been confirmed. The attack took place within Iraq’s territorial waters, but no group has claimed responsibility for the incident.

It turns out that perhaps the area is not as “safe” as President Trump said it was. And as a reminder, the US Navy already said it was ‘too dangerous’ to escort tankers through still.

As a result of the tanker explosions, Iraq stopped operations at its oil ports. Iraq was one of the first Persian Gulf majors to start reducing oil production after the near-closure of Hormuz, followed by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The cuts forced forced the International Energy Agency to act with a co-ordinated release of 400 million barrels — a historic drawdown that is significantly higher than the volume that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Oil prices are surging higher on the news with WTI back above $91 – now up on the week and 20% higher than yesterday’s lows…

Stocks tumbled back to the lows of the day…

Equities decoupled into the close from oil and bonds… the tanker explosion has recoupled that hopeful mistake…

Shortly after the spike in crude oil, the US Department of Energy sent out the following statement:

UNITED STATES TO RELEASE 172 MLN BARRELS OF OIL FROM STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE – DOE
…clearly damage control to tamp down the fire underneath oil prices that are once again out of control.

*  *  *

Update (1012ET): The President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, says he has spoken with the leaders of Russia and Pakistan, to whom he “reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to peace in the region.”

According to Pezeshkian, the only way to end the war is “recognizing Iran’s legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm int’l guarantees against future aggression.”

Talking to leaders of Russia and Pakistan, I reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to peace in the region. The only way to end this war—ignited by the Zionist regime & US—is recognizing Iran’s legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm int’l guarantees against future aggression.
— Masoud Pezeshkian (@drpezeshkian) March 11, 2026
Other notable headlines of the day: 

*Overnight: Hegseth proclaiming the day saw “most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes” of the war yet – sending prices higher

IEA MEMBERS AGREE OIL STOCKPILE RELEASE OF 400M BARRELS – quick dip and then rip higher in oil prices

*TRUMP: US TOOK OUT JUST ABOUT ALL OF IRAN’S MINE SHIPS – oil reversed lower

*TRUMP: OIL COMPANIES SHOULD USE STRAIT OF HORMUZ – extended drop

*TRUMP PROMISES ‘GREAT SAFETY’ FOR OIL TANKERS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ – further drop

*   *   *

Update (1012ET): President Trump on Wednesday said that the war with Iran will end “soon” because there is “practically nothing left to target.”

“Little this and that… Any time I want it to end, it will end,” Trump told Axios during a five-minute phone call, adding “The war is going great. We are way ahead of the timetable. We have done more damage than we thought possible, even in the original six-week period.” 

“They were after the rest of the Middle East. They are paying for 47 years of death and destruction they caused. This is payback. They will not get off that easy,” Trump said. 

So, Mission Almost Accomplished™ after the Trump administration has given estimates ranging from weeks to months for how long this might take.

Yet while Trump is signaling that the operation has largely accomplished its objectives, US and Israeli officials say there’s been no indication of when fighting might stop. As Axios notes further, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday that fighting will continue “without any time limit, for as long as necessary, until we achieve all the objectives and decisively win the campaign.” Meanwhile, Israeli and US officials say they’re preparing for at least two more weeks of strikes in Iran. 

*  *  *

Update (0930ET):

The most significant development in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday was the start of IRGC naval mining operations, which were met with massive U.S. firepower that destroyed 16 mine-laying vessels. As we continue monitoring the maritime chokepoint this morning after IRGC attacks on three commercial vessels, attention is now shifting to the IRGC’s drone production capacity, which appears to have been degraded.

Bloomberg reports that 2,100 Shaheds have been fired so far in the 12-day conflict. U.S. forces struck IRGC production facilities, disrupting large-scale manufacturing. The report is based on comments from a senior European official.

“Since the Houthis have produced UAVs under bombardment, one would think the Iranians can, albeit not at the same rates, since facilities have to be dispersed and makeshift workshops used,” Sid Kaushal, a senior research fellow at the UK-based Royal United Services Institute, told the outlet.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that Saudi Arabia’s kill-cost ratio, neutralizing $20,000 IRGC drones with $2 million-plus missiles, has spurred talks with a Ukrainian counter-drone company for cheap interceptor drones.

*  *  * 

America-Israel’s Operation Epic Fury entered its 12th day, with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicating that the most intense phase of U.S. strikes is expected on Wednesday. Tehran responded with retaliatory strikes against Gulf neighbors, as Goldman’s foreign affairs chief warned of a growing risk of regional spillover (read here). Overnight, market attention centered on energy, with the IEA reportedly proposing its largest-ever emergency crude release to combat Brent and WTI prices, which have reached triple-digit territory. 

“The most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes. Intelligence more refined and better than ever. So that’s on one hand,” Hegseth said. “On the other hand, the last 24 hours have seen Iran fire the lowest number of missiles they’ve been capable of firing yet.”

Around 0900 ET, the IEA is expected to announce plans for a massive crude release into the market to cap Brent and WTI prices, which surged near $120 per barrel at the start of the week. In a note to premium subscribers, we outlined several problems that could arise and why any such release would only offer temporary relief.

Read the note:

IEA Proposes Largest Ever Oil Stockpile Release… There Is Just One Big Problem
Beyond the panic among G-7 leaders and the IEA over crude prices, the Trump administration has also pushed its own headlines on Tuesday in an effort to jawbone energy prices lower, as we explained here.

Jawboning headlines from G-7 and the Trump administration on Tuesday were shortly followed by headlines that Iran had begun mining the Strait of Hormuz. That came after President Trump warned Tehran not to “put out any mines” in the narrow waterway. Shortly afterward, the U.S. military said 16 Iranian mine-laying naval vessels had been eliminated. 

Overnight reports described heavy U.S. and Israeli strikes on IRGC targets, with damage reported to oil facilities, civilian sites, and a hospital in Bushehr taken out of service. Iran has claimed that nearly 10,000 sites have been hit overall.

There are currently no signs of de-escalation from either side, with IRGC spokesman Ebrahim Zolfighari warning the Trump administration at the start of the week: “If they can afford the price of oil at $200 per barrel, let them keep playing this game.”

The latest casualty report states that more than 1,200 people have been killed by U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, and 13 have died in Israel as Iran retaliated with missiles and drones.

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said that 140 U.S. service members have been wounded in the conflict so far.

“The vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and 108 service members have already returned to duty,” Parnell said. “Eight service members remain listed as severely injured and are receiving the highest level of medical care.”

The latest and most critical overnight headlines (courtesy of Bloomberg):

Military Attacks

The US and Israel are conducting strikes against Iran, hitting thousands of targets across the country and degrading missile launchers and command networks

B-52 bombers have been used to strike Iranian ballistic missile and command-and-control sites

More than 1,000 civilians have been killed according to a preliminary count by Human Rights Activists News Agency

Israel struck Iranian drone launch squads, though the White House cannot confirm reports of 150 US troops injured

A drone strike in Iraq’s Kurdistan region killed a member of an Iranian Kurdish armed opposition group, with the group blaming Iran for the attack

Regional Impact

The UAE’s air defenses are intercepting missile and drone attacks from Iran, with loud bangs heard in Dubai

Two drones fell near Dubai International Airport, injuring four people including two Ghanaian nationals and one Bangladeshi national

Turkish President Erdogan warned the war must be stopped before it engulfs the region in flames

The UAE President wrote a patriotic poem performed by the national orchestra honoring those protecting the nation

Energy Market

The International Energy Agency is considering releasing emergency oil reserves of 300-400 million barrels, potentially the largest in its history

The IEA is recommending a release of oil from strategic reserves exceeding 100 million barrels over the first month, according to sources

Brent crude futures rose 5% to $92.47 a barrel while West Texas Intermediate climbed 5.8% to $88.27 early Wednesday

Wood Mackenzie consultancy warns of oil prices potentially reaching $150+ per barrel due to the supply shock

Brent crude briefly surged to $119.5 per barrel late Sunday in one of the most dramatic spikes in recent oil-market history

Strait of Hormuz

President Trump threatened Iran in a Truth Social post with “military consequences” at a level “never seen before” if they were to place mines in the Strait.

Iran unleashes naval mines across the critical waterway, followed by US military announcing 16 IRGC mine-laying ships in the area were “eliminated”

Reuters says the US naval fleet is not ready for convoys through Strait

US Secretary Wright deleted the tweet on US Navy escorted oil tanker through Strait – WH says premature

IRGC Commander slams Wright for fake news

Three vessels hit by projectiles in Strait of Hormuz

Diplomatic Developments 

Russia is constantly in touch with Iranian leadership and willing to contribute to efforts to stabilize the region, according to the Kremlin

Russian media argues that negotiations with the US always end with missiles hitting capitals, questioning Trump’s peace deal efforts

President Trump warned Iran against laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, threatening military consequences at a level never seen before

Top stories by outlet:

Pipelines by-passing Strait of Hormuz (WSJ)

IEA proposes record release from strategic oil reserves (WSJ)

IEA proposes release of 300-400 million barrels (Bloomberg)

United States not ready for convoys through Strait (Reuters)

China’s oil refiners relatively insulated from war (Bloomberg)

Qatar’s LNG shutdown tightens global gas supply (Bloomberg)

UAE shuts down refinery after damage from drone (Reuters)

ADNOC presses oil partners to transit the Strait (Bloomberg)

Pakistan reiterates support for Saudi Arabia (Bloomberg)

U.S. diesel prices in record weekly increase (WSJ)

Iran war and shadowy short wave broadcasts (FT)

Europe’s shift from nuclear was “strategic mistake” (Reuters)

Israeli intelligence assessment indicates Iran’s new supreme leader was wounded at the start of the war (AP News) 

Polymarket odds for a US-Iran ceasefire are sliding:

Commenting on energy markets, UBS analyst Nana Antiedu cited Henri Patricot’s note on three scenarios in the conflict and potential oil/gas implications:

If there is a quick de-escalation of the US-Iran conflict by mid-March with no damage to critical oil infrastructure and flows via Hormuz resume, Henri Patricot sees Brent averaging $80/bbl in March, before dropping to the mid-$70s.

TTF gas prices would hold €50/MWh, before falling to the high-€30s in 2Q26. In the case where Hormuz disruptions persist for a month, both oil and gas markets would further tighten, increasing the pace of inventory drawdowns and supply shut from GCC countries.

Here, he expects oil prices to rise above $100/bbl in the second half of March, averaging $100/bbl in March and $78/bbl for 1Q26, before coming down to $90/bbl in 2Q26 as disruptions ease.

For gas, LNG supply would be reduced for longer, requiring more demand reduction, especially as spare capacity and storage are limited.

He would expect TTF to rise towards €80/MWh by end-March, averaging €65/MWh in March and €46/bbl for 1Q26, before coming down to €50/MWh in 2Q26.

In the final scenario, where there is extended disruption (longer than a month), Brent prices could average $110/bbl in March and might climb towards $150+ by 2Q26. On the gas side, TTF could average €73/MWh in March and rise to €80/MWh in 2Q26.

What’s clear is that the Middle East conflict has sent macroeconomic uncertainty soaring across the world, despite the White House saying the surge in energy prices is temporary.

The big headline this morning will be around 0900 ET from the IEA on crude inventory releases.

Tyler Durden
Thu, 03/12/2026 – 06:30

The Islanders want Schenn, who wore the “C” with the Blues, acting as a mentor, specifically for Cal Ritchie.

James Talarico may be causing Texas residents to experience a bit of déjà vu. Once again, a rising star Democrat has become a media idol. And once again, familiar headlines about the red state possibly going Democratic are surfacing.Talarico, a 36-year-old state representative, defeated Rep. Jasmine Crockett in last week’s Democratic Senate primary and will try to become the first Democrat since 1988 to win a Senate election in Texas. Talarico has emerged as the latest Democrat to be framed by the media as having a shot to “turn Texas blue” or spark a “blue breakthrough,” as some have even suggested he could make Texas a true battleground.But Texas Democrats have dreamed big before and seen it all fall flat, on both the presidential and state election levels.Wendy Davis, who became a feminist hero for her filibuster in favor of abortion rights, used her fame to catapult her to the Democratic nomination for the 2014 Texas gubernatorial race. The mainstream media was quickly enamored, as ABC News called her an “overnight national Democratic celebrity,” TIME wrote that “her sudden stardom raises hopes that she could be the one to break Republican’s 14-year choke hold on statewide offices,” CBS News called her a “rising star” and Davis was referred to as an “overnight sensation” on NBC News.  The pink Mizuno Wave Rider 16 running shoes Davis wore for a marathon filibuster when she was a state senator were even glamorized by multiple outlets, such as BuzzFeed, which published a story, “The 11 best Amazon reviews of Wendy Davis’ filibuster sneakers.”Despite the glowing coverage, tidbits of Davis’ origin story eventually came into question, and she was easily defeated by Greg Abbott in 2014, a wave election year for Republicans. Davis lost by 20 points in the most lopsided defeat in a governor’s race in Texas since 1998.It only took four years for the media to find its new darling in the Lone Star State, though: Beto O’Rourke, a three-term congressman from El Paso, who decided to challenge Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.O’Rourke was propped up as a cross between a rock star and John F. Kennedy, who could miraculously be the first Democrat to win a statewide office in Texas since 1994. The press fawned over O’Rourke so hard that seemingly every mainstream publication in America published a glowing feature. Headlines included Vanity Fair’s “Meet the Kennedyesque Democrat Trying to Beat Ted Cruz,” Rolling Stone’s “Beto O’Rourke: Ted Cruz’s Punk-Rock Problem” and Esquire’s “Who Is Beto O’Rourke? Meet The Man Democrats Hope Is The Next Obama.”Town and Country called him a “a Kennedyesque longshot in a roiling red state,” TIME declared, “Elderly voters sometimes tell him that he reminds them of John F. Kennedy” and BuzzFeed insisted, “Beto O’Rourke could be the Democrat Texas has been waiting for.”  CBS News published an article headlined, “O’Rourke could mean blue wave hits deep red Texas in Senate race,” MSNBC carried on about O’Rourke’s path to victory and TIME asked, “Can Beto O’Rourke Turn Texas Blue?”In a strong environment nationally for Democrats — 2018 saw the party win back the House in President Donald Trump’s first term — O’Rourke set a record for votes cast for a Democrat in Texas with over four million. Yet it wasn’t enough to beat Cruz, who won by 2.6 points to clinch re-election.‘GOD IS NON-BINARY’: TEXAS DEM NOMINEE TALARICO’S PAST REMARKS ON ABORTION, RACE AND GENDER DRAW SCRUTINYThe loss nevertheless made O’Rourke a sensation and convinced him to join the crowded 2020 Democratic presidential field. In an infamous Vanity Fair cover story that featured photographs taken by the renowned Annie Leibovitz, O’Rourke said he was “born to be in it,” which irked even liberals who found his language presumptuous.On a national stage, O’Rourke didn’t recapture the magic in Texas. He suspended his presidential campaign before the Iowa caucuses. In 2022, he lost the governor’s race to Abbott, and he hasn’t sought office since, although he’s been lauded as helping lower-ticket Democrats in the state with his fundraising and activism.The press didn’t learn after the Davis and O’Rourke letdowns, as Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris were each taken somewhat seriously when expressing their desire to win Texas from Donald Trump in their respective presidential elections.In 2016, headlines were published like NPR’s “Why Texas Is Closer To Turning Blue Than It Has Been In Decades.” and The Atlantic’s “Can Hillary Clinton Win Texas?” Less than a month before the election, MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” had a discussion over whether Clinton would win the state, as one analyst predicted she’d capture more than 400 electoral votes in November.Clinton lost Texas by nine points, an improvement over Barack Obama’s showing in 2012, but an emphatic loss nonetheless as Trump won the election as well.While some headlines wondered whether Texas could turn blue in 2024, stories tended to acknowledge it was a long shot. One article in The Hill, headlined, “What if Texas goes blue?” spoke hopefully about the state’s trend toward Democrats in recent presidential elections, but Trump dashed those hopes with a 14-point landslide win over Harris.Now with Trump in office again and facing a potentially daunting midterm season for Republicans, history could be repeating itself with Talarico, who has been called a “rising star” across the media landscape. Texas still has not settled on a Republican candidate, with Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton heading to a May runoff.Heritage Foundation media fellow Tim Young, who is based in Fort Worth, doesn’t believe the press will change its tune anytime soon. “It’s been very clear from the start that the media has been propping Talarico up, even at the expense of Jasmine Crockett. They believe they can force a milquetoast-looking White person with radical views on Texas and win because they ultimately think Texans are stupid,” Young told Fox News Digital. “The legacy media will never learn their lesson,” Young continued. “This is the same media who believes themselves to be elite and smarter than the average person, so no, they’ll never learn.” TALARICO REPORTEDLY KNEW COLBERT INTERVIEW WOULDN’T AIR ON TV BEFORE HE LEFT TO FILM ITYoung’s feelings echo those of an FCC insider who previously told Fox News Digital they believed CBS host Stephen Colbert attempted to put his thumb on the scale for Talarico because he was more palatable in a general election than Crockett. Colbert helped stir massive attention for Talarico by insisting he couldn’t air his interview of the Democratic state lawmaker last month because CBS was pressured by FCC guidelines. CBS and the FCC countered the notion that he was actively prevented from airing the interview, and The New York Times reported that Talarico knew his interview wouldn’t air on linear TV well in advance. Talarico will surely continue to see favorable coverage ahead of Election Day, but whether he can become the first Democrat in nearly four decades to win a Senate election in Texas remains to be seen. Fox News Digital’s Hanna Panreck contributed to this report. 

FIRST ON FOX: One of the top Republican contenders for governor in Georgia hyped that he would “be Trump’s favorite governor” and is vying for President Donald Trump’s endorsement, but his Federal Election Commission records reveal he financially backed multiple GOP rivals of Trump during the 2024 presidential race.In particular, two top contenders, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and billionaire healthcare entrepreneur Rick Jackson, have been sparring over who is more aligned with Trump. “This Primary Election is very simple,” Jones says on his campaign website. “There is one authentic conservative who has fought for President Trump.” Meanwhile, Jackson has assured voters that he would “be Trump’s favorite governor” after donating $1 million to the president’s political action committee, MAGA Inc. less than two months before he jumped in the race last month.However, Jackson and his network of companies and investment groups have a history of donating funds to Trump’s rivals, including during his 2024 presidential bid prior to him obtaining the Republican Party nomination, according to a Fox News Digital review of FEC filings. Jackson gave at least $150,000 to Nikki Haley and $100,000 to Vivek Ramaswamy, who were both running against Trump at the time.TRUMP ALLY CLAY FULLER ADVANCES IN GEORGIA FIGHT FOR MTG’S FORMER SEAT Jackson Investment Group, an entity that Jackson has controlled for decades, according to a 2024 SEC filing, spent at least $150,000 supporting Nikki Haley through the SFA Fund, INC., and Team Stand for America. The SFA Fund, INC. received three separate donations from the Jackson Investment Group totaling at least $140,000 between 2023 and 2024, including $40,000 weeks before Haley suspended her campaign in early 2024. Jackson also directly gave $10,000 to Team Stand for America, a joint fundraising committee that was supporting Haley.The $100,000 donation from the Jackson Investment Group to Ramaswamy’s super PAC occurred in July 2023, months before he suspended his campaign in Jan. 2024.Jackson has also donated across the last decade to other Trump rivals like former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., former Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, and over $1 million in support of Jeb Bush’s 2016 presidential campaign against Trump, FEC filings show. Jackson also contributed funds against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, R-Ga., when she was fully on the MAGA train in 2020, and donated to Sen. Lindsay Graham’s, R-S.C., 2016 presidential bid shortly after he dropped out and endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.The $2,700 donation to Cheney’s leadership PAC, The Great Task, came weeks after she joined Democrats in voting to impeach Trump after they said he incited the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Jackson, the wealthy founder of Jackson Healthcare who is seeding his own campaign with at least $50 million, shook up a primary field that many had expected was set in stone between Jones, the Trump-endorsed front-runner, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and state Attorney General Chris Carr. The newcomer to the race has brushed off attacks that he is not sufficiently loyal to Trump, comparing himself to people serving in Trump’s orbit who were once skeptics of the president, like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance. When reached for comment about his previous donations to Trump rivals, a Jackson campaign spokesperson pivoted to Jones. “Self-dealing Burt Jones is recycling old attacks to distract from his failing campaign. From shielding doctors who perform sex change surgeries on minors to protecting Chinese vape manufacturers for campaign cash and family profit, the more Georgians learn about Burt Jones, the more they realize he operates like the kingpin of the Atlanta political mob. That’s why even with the endorsement, Burt Jones is losing,” Dave Abrams, a Jackson campaign spokesperson, told Fox News Digital when reached for comment.”To be clear, President Trump endorsed Burt Jones for Governor,” a former senior Trump White House official told Fox News Digital. “Rick Jackson claiming he is Trump’s ‘favorite’ is downright dishonest.”Kayla Lott, a campaign spokesperson for Jones, contested the claim from Jackson’s team that he has worked to protect Chinese vape manufacturers, arguing the Lt. Gov.’s efforts on a bill that would have created a directory of authorized nicotine vapor products was about preventing monopolization and promoting free-market solutions. Lott also pointed to Jones’ support for House Bill 54, preventing minors from obtaining sex-change surgeries or drug treatment. TRUMP FOE FANI WILLIS BLOCKED YET AGAIN FROM COLLAPSED RICO CASE AS PRESIDENT PUSHES TO CLAW BACK MILLIONS”Never Trumper Rick Jackson bankrolled candidates running against President Trump and the America First agenda,” Lott said. “Now he’s lying to voters to try and cover it up. As the only Trump-endorsed candidate in this race, Lt. Governor Burt Jones will always stand up for Georgians and stand with our President. Not even Slick Rick can buy his way out of his own record.” Even before his support for Bush in 2016, Jackson supported Romney, another Trump rival who has described the president as a “phony” and a “fraud.” FEC filings show that Jackson spent over $100,000 supporting Romney’s presidential campaign and his political action committee, Romney Victory Inc. Trump repeatedly said Romney “choked” in 2012 and “let us all down.”Jackson, Jones, Carr and Raffensperger will duke it out in their upcoming primary on May 19, with the general election to follow in early November.

The world’s richest sports team owners include billionaires from the NFL, the NBA and European soccer. See the top 25 ranking, with a combined net worth of $903 billion.