Perhaps the shine of President Trump's transformational first 100 days in office is repugnant to Russian President Putin and the Mullahs of Iran. Maybe they are prolonging their antagonistic approach to irk President Trump to extract better deals from the man who wrote the ‘how-to’ book on making deals.
Events triggered by Moscow and Tehran in the last two weeks have so turned the tide that Trump could well be forced to abandon his isolationist foreign policy. America First doesn't mean risking America's longer-term goals, such as peace in Europe or a stable Middle East.
As we noted in a recent editorial, Trump has been heavily leaning on both Russia and Ukraine, not just Ukraine, to settle. If both parties do not float "concrete proposals to end this conflict," as State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce quoted Rubio as saying, Trump could decide that "we would step back as mediators in the process."
Trump has been extraordinarily sympathetic to Russian demands, such as publicly stating that any peace agreement would probably freeze territory along the current battle lines, giving Russia control of Crimea and the four oblasts that it mostly controls in Eastern Ukraine. America would lift its sanctions on Russia but would neither invite Ukraine to NATO nor agree to provide security guarantees to Kyiv.
Rather than take advantage of a favorable position that Trump had granted Moscow, Putin placed additional pressure on Ukraine to capitulate even more - thereby inviting Trump's ire. On April 24, the Russian military launched a prolonged attack, involving more than 220 ballistic missiles and drones on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. The attack killed thirteen people and injured nearly 100 others.
As war plans go, Putin's actions here backfired big time. For the first time in recent memory, Trump harshly criticized the Russian president on Truth Social:
I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Let's get the Peace Deal DONE!
The fact that Trump reacted to the Kyiv attack the same day showed again that the President, who has been playing the role of an honest broker, had been pushed too far. The resultant actions were entirely antithetical to Trump's statements regarding the over-three-year conflict.
First, Trump agreed to send weapons assistance to Ukraine. The Pentagon announced on Friday that the U.S. State Department had approved a potential $310 million sale to Ukraine covering F-16 training, maintenance, and related equipment. The deal includes a wide range of support, such as aircraft modifications, flight training, sustainment services, spare parts, and classified systems and software. This move elicited shock and surprise among his MAGA supporters.
Second, the New York Times reported that Trump had authorized the transfer of a Patriot missile defense system to protect Kyiv, a move that was a direct rebuke of Putin's actions on April 24. "Vladimir, STOP!" had suddenly assumed a new meaning—Trump was willing to abandon his deeply held beliefs about bringing peace to the region by using force. The time for diplomacy was quickly ending.
Over in Israel, Sunday's attacks on Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport, launched by the Houthis, were threatening to increase Trump's involvement in the conflict. Vowing to protect the assets of the United States Navy and commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea, Trump has been bombarding rebel positions in Yemen for weeks.
Iranian Mullahs, who are simultaneously in talks with the White House about nuclear disarmament in return for the lifting of sanctions and the resumption of normalcy in international relations, followed the Kremlin playbook of pushing Trump too far. Attacking a civilian airport, one of the most crucial hubs in the Middle East, was, undoubtedly, a serious policy miscalculation on the Houthis' part. As Al Jazeera reported, many major airlines, including German carrier Lufthansa, Spanish airline Air Europa, Air France, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Air India, and Hungary's Wizz Air, immediately announced they were canceling flights for Sunday, with some canceling flights on Monday and Tuesday as well.
Assured of Trump’s long-standing support, Israeli officials made public statements anticipating joint U.S.-Israeli action, a step that could constrain America’s room to maneuver diplomatically. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message in Hebrew that Israel and the US will "act against them again in the future" and do so using more than one blow. It was an extraordinary statement on its face - to commit the United States to Israel’s defensive war tactics.
Trump repeatedly acknowledged during the campaign that the world was a dangerous place because of all the bad actors who were using state power to bring about war and strife. Putin and the Mullahs, with their recent reckless actions, are denying Trump a chance to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat using high-stakes diplomacy. Instead, they are forcing Trump to use America's vast military power, a move that could complicate Trump's chances of achieving quick foreign policy successes so that he could pivot to China.
TIPP Picks
Selected articles from tippinsights.com and more
1. Trump Rides High With Most Voters, But Democrats Remain Negative: I&I/TIPP Poll—Terry Jones, TIPP Insights
2. Can’t Make Government Efficient—Star Parker, The Daily Signal
3. How Do You Do, Fellow White People? Tim Walz Says Hello!—David Harsanyi, The Daily Signal
4. Newsom Hits The Gas—Editorial Board, Issues & Insights
5. Trump’s 100 Days And The Legal War In Washington—Hans von Spakovsky, The Daily Signal
6. The Pakistan-Taliban Divorce Gets Messy—Shashi Tharoor, Project Syndicate
7. How Many Biden Appointees ‘Burrowed In’ To The Permanent Bureaucracy?—Tyler O'Neil, The Daily Signal
8. Bessent Demands Europe Scrap ‘Unfair’ Regulatory Shakedown—Thomas English, DCNF
9. If You’re Looking For Evidence Of The Media Screwing Over America, Look No Further—Mary Rooke, DCNF
10. Marco Rubio Says Uncle Sam Is Monitoring Social Media. Who Doesn’t Believe Him?—Debra Saunders, The Daily Signal
11. How Family Structure Leads To Academic Success—Timothy Goeglein, The Daily Signal
12. Tariffs Did Not Make America Great And Won’t Make America Great Again—Joshua Mawhorter, Mises Wire
13. Trump Will Start Nominating Federal Judges ‘Rapidly,’ He Says—Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal
14. Federal Judges Ruling Against Deportations Is ‘Big’ Emergency, Trump Tells ‘Meet The Press’—Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell, The Daily Signal
15. From School Board Mom To National Leader: Tiffany Justice’s New Mission For Parental Rights—Rob Bluey, The Daily Signal
16. Trump Took Action To Protect Parental Rights — Now States Must Do Their Part—Riley Gaines, DCNF
17. Green Energy Fixation Sends Spain Dark—Mike Gonzalez, The Daily Signal
18. Trump Demands ‘Bigger, Badder’ Alcatraz To Lock Up Nation’s Worst Criminals—Melanie Wilcox, DCNF
19. ‘Only Republican Who Can Perform’: John James Is Determined To Flip Governorship Red During Midterms—Adam Pack, DCNF
20. ‘A Small Price To Celebrate America’s Greatness’: Trump Champions $45 Million Military Parade—Melanie Wilcox, DCNF
21. App Used By Ex-NSA Mike Waltz Suspends Service After Reported Hack—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
22. Trump Launches Voluntary Deportation Program With $1,000 Incentive—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
23. Trump, Erdoğan Speak On Ukraine, Gaza; Trump Eyes Turkey Visit—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
24. Israel Eyes Hostage Deal Window Ahead Of Trump Visit, Plans Gaza 'Conquest'—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
25. Pence Accepts JFK Courage Award, Calls January 6th A ‘Triumph Of Freedom’—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
26. U.S. Plans Heavy Tariffs On Foreign Film—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
27. Flag Day Parade Isn’t About Me, Trump Slams 'Birthday' Spin By Media—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
28. Bezos Changed Course After My Call, Trump Says—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
29. Trump: National Security Adviser Role A 'Downgrade' For Stephen Miller—TIPP Staff, TIPP Insights
30. Can Virginia GOP Overcome Controversy To Maintain Control In November?—Joe Thomas, The Daily Signal
31. New Secure Messaging Platform Offers Quantum-Resistant Defense Against Chinese Cyber Threats—Rob Bluey, The Daily Signal
TIPP Market Brief – May 6, 2025
Your Morning Snapshot
📊 Market Snapshot
- S&P 500: 5,650.38 – ▼ 0.64%
- 10-Year Yield: 4.34% – ▲ 2 basis points
- Crude Oil (WTI): $57.23 – ▼ 1.82%
- Bitcoin (BTC): $95,124.51 ▲
- US Dollar Index (USD): 99.80 – ▼ 0.23%
- Gold: $3,331.15 – ▲ 2.83%
Bigger Charts: $SPX | $TNX | $WTIC | $BTCUSD | $USD | $GOLD
📈 Featured Stock
Our pick for today’s featured stock
📰 News & Headlines
S&P 500 Correction: 1 Spectacular Growth Stock to Buy Now and Hold for the Long Run—Anthony Di Pizio, The Motley Fool
Is Spotify Technology S.A. (SPOT) The Best Performing Large Cap Stock So Far in 2025?— Talha Qureshi, Insider Monkey
⭐Recent Featured Stocks
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (KTOS) (5/5)
Stride, Inc. (5/2)
Netflix (5/1)
Palantir (4/30)
Guardant Health (4/29)
Verisign, Inc. (4/28)
Marex Group PLC (4/25)
Sportradar Group, AG (4/24)
Sprouts Farmers Market (4/23)
Kroger Company (4/22)
🧠 Macro Insight
U.S. futures are trending lower as markets digest Ford’s (F) decision to scrap its annual forecast, citing deep uncertainty from Trump’s new auto tariffs. Palantir (PLTR) shares dropped despite raising its sales outlook, as lofty investor expectations collided with merely solid results.
Traders watch the Fed’s upcoming rate decision and a busy earnings slate, including Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Arista Networks (ANET). Meanwhile, DoorDash (DASH) announced a $3.86 billion deal to acquire Deliveroo, expanding its global reach.
Oil prices rebounded after Monday’s selloff, but oversupply concerns linger as OPEC+ moves to boost output.
📅 Key Events Today
- 10:00 AM ET – RCM/TIPP Economic Optimism Index
First take on U.S. consumer confidence.
