The Worries of War – “The Sunday Political Brunch” - April 19, 2026

The fragile ceasefire in the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran continues to hold, but there is other fallout from the fighting. And the scandals involving four members of Congress also battled for the top headlines this week. Let’s “brunch” on that and more:

“The Fallout of War” – President Donald Trump has signaled he is open to having a second round of peace talks with Iran, after the first round faltered after 21 hours of negotiation. The markets liked that optimism, and the Dow Jones rose nearly 300 points on Tuesday. The price of a barrel of oil dropped to $91, and the per-gallon price here in Florida dropped back below $4.00. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 closed above 7,000 for the first time, and the NASDAQ reached its highest close ever. All three market indices rose modestly again on Thursday. On Friday, Trump and Iran’s foreign minister announced the Strait of Hormuz was fully open, and oil prices dropped by another 10 percent, while stock markets surged. This all could be a critical factor in the midterm elections. By Saturday, Iran shut the Strait again, and fired on a British tanker. The U.S. blockade remained. We're in a tenuous standoff, at best. Peace talks resume Monday in Pakistan.

“Second Round of Iran Talks” – A delegation of top Pakistani officials is in Tehran, Iran, seeking to broker additional peace talks between the U.S. and Iranian governments. In a related action, President Trump announced that Israel has agreed to a ten-day ceasefire with Lebanon. Israel had been targeting Hezbollah terrorist locations inside Lebanon, but often there were civilian casualties. Iran had requested that the U.S. help broker the Israeli-Hezbollah ceasefire, as a sticking point to get U.S.-Iranian peace talks underway again. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “We have an opportunity to make a historic peace agreement with Lebanon.”

“Trump Channels Jesus” – The most talked-about story of the week was the photo Trump posted on his Truth Social website. To many, it appeared that Trump, dressed in robes, was putting healing hands on a man, as if Trump were Jesus Christ. Social media went nuts with outrage. My friend and frequent political candidate, Giovanni Feroce, posted on Facebook, saying, “President Trump is absolutely right in criticizing Pope Leo for pushing his personal politics. The President is also a f_____ idiot for making a photo of himself as Jesus. Take it down You Stupid Sacrilegious Moron.” Feroce, who supports Trump on many issues, later commended the president for taking down the post. Trump posted that he was portraying himself as a healing doctor, not as Jesus.

“Trump and Pope Leo in War of Words” – They are arguably two of the most powerful and influential people on the planet, but they are at each other’s throats over Iran. Pope Leo XIV urged Trump to strive for peace, not war, saying, “I will not shy away from announcing the message of the Gospel and inviting all people to look for ways of building bridges of peace and reconciliation, and looking for ways to avoid war any time that’s possible." Trump called the pope weak, "I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo. He's a very liberal person, and he's a man that doesn't believe in stopping crime. He's a man that doesn't think that we should be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon so they can blow up the world. I'm not a fan of Pope Leo."

“I’m Leaving on a Jet Plane. Not!” – In a bit of music trivia, most people don’t know that the late John Denver wrote that song. It was his first hit, but was performed by “Peter, Paul and Mary!” I raise the title because there are reports that all of Europe is dangerously low on jet fuel due to the U.S.-Israel war with Iraq. The Associated Press reports that there are only 6 weeks of jet fuel left. Fatih Birol, the head of the International Energy Agency, told AP, “In the past, there was a group called ‘Dire Straits.’ It’s a dire strait now, and it is going to have major implications for the global economy. And the longer it goes, the worse it will be for the economic growth and inflation around the world.”

“Swalwell Falls” – Rep. Eric Swalwell (D) California, has resigned his seat in Congress and is no longer running for governor. In a statement to the House, Swalwell said, “I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I have made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations made against me.” Two women have come forward saying Swalwell raped them, and that they felt drugged after having a drink with him. Another two women reported unwanted sexual behavior. “I did not consent to any sexual activity,” said Lanna Drewes, who held a press conference to say Swalwell assaulted her in a Southern California hotel. Swalwell had been polling a close third in recent polls, in a crowded field for the Democratic Party nomination for governor. The primary is June 2. In a stunner, the first Emerson College Poll since Swalwell resigned, shows Republican Steve Hilton leading all candidates for governor, in the bluest of blue states. Swalwell may have damaged his own party.

“Tony Gonzalez Resigns” – Rep. Tony Gonzalez (R) Texas, has also resigned. He had a sexual relationship with a female staffer. When he broke off the affair, she committed suicide by setting herself on fire. Gonzalez came in second in the Texas primary and promised to stay on the ballot through the May runoff election. Knowing they are in serious danger of losing control of the House, Republican leaders finally convinced Gonzalez to quit the race and resign from office. Good riddance to both former Congressmen. Their constituents did not send them to Washington for this kind of behavior. They are supposed to be balancing budgets, debating military action, improving health care, and the list goes on.

“But Wait, There’s More” – As if the resignations of two U.S. House members were not enough, there are still two others in hot water. My Congresswoman, Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D) Florida, is under federal indictment for allegedly funneling millions of dollars in COVID relief aid into her family’s health care business. The House Ethics Committee is also investigating her. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R) Louisiana said, "I think the facts are indisputable at this point, and so I believe it'll be the consensus of this body that she should be expelled. I mean, that certainly rises to the level that's needed." Cherfilus-McCormick insists she is innocent and is planning to run for reelection. Her federal trial date has been moved to next February, so she could get reelected, unless her colleagues kick her out of Congress.

“We’re Not Done Yet” -- Meanwhile, Rep. Cory Mills (R) Florida, is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee after companies he owned received federal contracts, which is against House rules. Two women also allege personal misconduct by Mills. He denies it all and is running for reelection this year. I’d be hard-pressed to remember a time when four House members were under such serious investigation at the same time. There could even be more criminal charges filed.

“Investigation of Fed Chair Powell” – President Trump accused the Biden White House of weaponizing the Department of Justice against him, and now Democrat critics say the second Trump White House is weaponizing the DOJ against his foes. They cite the dismissed charges against Attorney General Letitia James (D) New York, and former FBI Director James Comey, charges brought on by Team Trump. Now, Trump is trying to pressure Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell to step down, because Powell has not cut interest rates enough. But Powell and the Fed have been under investigation for a lavish and expensive remodeling of their offices. This week, prosecutors from the DC U.S. Attorney’s office visited the Federal Reserve Building to view the renovations in person. No charges have been filed yet, but Trump says he plans to fire Powell if he fails to retire next month. Powell denies anything improper.

“Sen Mark Kelly for President?” – There continues to be speculation that Sen. Mark Kelly (D) Arizona, is going to run for president in 2028. According to the Arizona Republic, Kelly has raised $13 million in campaign funds after he was punished by the Pentagon. Kelly, a decorated U.S. Navy officer and astronaut, appeared in a video alongside five members of Congress. They told current military officers that they did not have to obey orders that they knew were illegal. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered that Kelly’s retirement rank and pension pay be cut. In total, Kelly now has a $22 million war chest should he run. He has a good shot of bringing Arizona and neighboring Nevada back into the Democratic column. Those Electoral College votes went for Trump in 2024, but Kelly could flip the two states. A Yale Youth Poll shows Kelly is in a competitive second place behind Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) California, among likely primary voters.

Mark Curtis, Ed.D., is a South Florida-based political writer and analyst who has covered news and politics nationwide for the past 49 years. He is a multiple award winner, including two prestigious Edward R. Murrow Awards. Most recently, he served as the Chief Political Reporter for the seven Nexstar Media TV stations, covering West Virginia and its five neighboring states, as well as the Washington, DC media market. Curtis is a former Congressional Fellow who worked in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Over the years, he has been a contributing writer and analyst at Patch.com. His commentary and analysis can be heard weekly at 1:45 p.m. on Friday, on the 22-station West Virginia Metro News Radio Network. www.WVMetroNews.com.

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