With almost all the ballots counted, Abelardo de la Espriella held 49.66% of the vote versus left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda’s 48.70%.

The 47-year-old’s slender win triggered demonstrations, but will ease ties with Washington and extend a regional right-wing wave centered on “iron fist” security policies.

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Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/colombia-presidential-vote-trump-candidate-wins-sparking-protests/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSr1DBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe9_AC3CgFpbF5-ig1ONU3duCnU1QXpUQ3aej9Ox6uPyLbet0RcwevmcZiwCQ_aem_yZhlZyrpgZnrqslQnZhADg

The post Trump-backed populist wins tight Colombia presidential vote, sparking protests first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

At this hour, talks go on with Iran. I don’t know whether all these talks will do any good. Arabs are nice people, but you don’t want to get on their bad side.  

The media is growing more bold in their criticism of Donald Trump. I wouldn’t be too quick to jump. So far, I think he’s ahead of the media. He tells them after the fact. He never gives them a chance to ambush him. Those idiots never give up! They just make up a new story you hadn’t thought of. The media, excepting those that attend press conferences, is against him. They never miss a chance to poke fun. So far, at least, he’s having the last laugh.

Trump signed the agreement to agree. Good luck. I doubt it’s final. Gas prices are supposed to come down, otherwise we’d never know we’d been in a war. I don’t know what kind of leverage we have, we’ve already destroyed everything. We’d hoped another faction would come to power, maybe friendly?  But it doesn’t look like that will happen. I guess we’d better get used to the idea of Iran being an enemy.  

Canada is cratering, and you can read all about it. They’ve never had the strength or resolve of the United States. They’ve let every Tom, Dick and Harry come in and at this point I don’t think we’d want it. How Canadians are putting up with the insults coming from the Oval, I don’t know.  The media is largely against Trump, you don’t need me to tell you that. They are criticizing everything he does and thinks. He doesn’t care.  

They’re chasing us around about AI. They say that pollsters are asking AI instead of the people.  That’s a good way to get steered wrong.  

Markets are about 7 moves ahead of the investor, they claim. Oil is coming down, now that we’ve paid penance. Maybe we won’t feel so guilty every time we fill up the car.  

You hardly hear anything about the Ukraine war. First we were on Zelensky’s side, then Trump kicked him out of the White House. I don’t know what to make of it, but I don’t like Zelensky. He had the misfortune of Donald Trump’s presidency, and doesn’t know how to handle it. Ukraine has hit Russia with missiles and the other shoe has yet to drop.

Mark

The post Weekly Update by Mark Armstrong – June 19, 2026 first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Even earlier this morning, EU lawmakers and diplomats agreed to implement the controversial trade agreement concluded last summer with the US, after hours of late-night talks in Strasbourg.

Our trade reporter Peggy Corlin writes that despite the breakthrough, which is set to soothe soaring transatlantic tensions, the deal remains fragile as long as US President Donald Trump continues to use tariffs as a tool of political pressure.

The negotiations concluded two weeks after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs on EU cars if Europeans did not implement the agreement by 4 July. The deal is also considered heavily tilted towards the US, slashing tariffs on US industrial exports to 0% while keeping a baseline tariff on most EU exports at 15%.

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Source: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/05/20/newsletter-breakthrough-on-eu-us-trade-deal?fbclid=IwY2xjawR9tZlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEehqVk1YntlSV2atsfjXkYgTUOzYY3qoYAysBN50bxIC6kRkP8WVaPQTrynmo_aem_ha890Ztj9D8Ih1ywUJVGLQ

The post Newsletter: Breakthrough on EU-US trade deal first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Trump says twenty years is enough.  But Iran is not being forthcoming.  The way he looks at it most of us will be dead, and the next generation can deal with the situation.  But Trump’s not happy about the way Iran is negotiating. But the way we’ve been dealing death to Iran’s leaders… they don’t know which end is up.

Trump was just in “Chynah”, and we’re waiting to hear how things went.  China is the one country that’s continuing to do business with Iran. Surely that will get straightened out. We don’t want a war with China while we deal with Iran. China is the one place that could hurt us, but they won’t. The Bible tells us how things will play out, and we’re not there yet.

So far, peace talks with Iran have been unacceptable. The President wants pledges he’s not getting. Meanwhile, Iran menaces the Strait of Hormuz, where a good portion of the world’s oil flows. They could have done this anytime, but they’ve just gotten the daylights bombed out of them, so what’s left? I understand that we are sending oil to Europe to make up for the shortfall, but can we do that indefinitely?  

Everything old is new again. Here we are in 2026 worrying about the Strait of Hormuz. We were worrying about that narrow choke point years ago. My Dad did programs about it. So far Iran has not admitted defeat, and maybe we’ll have to deal with that. I learned one thing about the Middle East: The Arabs are braggarts. I could tell some stories.

The left is doubling down.  Hollywood has its cast of men who play women in movies and it’s all the rage right now.  My Dad used to describe people who celebrate these movies as pigs at the trough, but who’s looking out for Hollywood right now? I guess it’s the one thing they can tout, but I don’t want to be fooled.  

We’re at war with Iran, but you’d hardly know it. Gas prices are up, but at least we can sleep at night. Trump is promising lower gas prices, but the media is making hay while they can. I think most liberal media outlets are against Trump. They can’t stand him, and they’re hoping he will fail just to give them the satisfaction, and allow them to toot their horns in public. But so far so good.

Europe is building cages around its oil facilities, just in case a stray missile comes in. Who ever thought of it?  They’re literally building cages around their oil storage facilities so the explosives won’t reach the oil.  Maybe we should do that. Europe is where the action is, and we’re not making friends with them either. They’re outraged that Trump is such a strong leader. I’m sure his name is on everybody’s lips over there. Europe is backward by our standards. We can be thankful we live in the U. S.  

It looks like America is on a roll, and the media would like nothing better than for us to crash just so they can criticize Trump.

Comey, Clapper and Brennan may yet get their wings clipped.  We can only hope!  

Mark  Armstrong

The post Weekly Update by Mark Armstrong – May 15, 2026 first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

The post Trump, Xi to weigh tariff cuts on $30 billion of imports in managed trade push first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Trump is on a roll. I know, intellectual types want you to feel inferior, and the media is completely on board. But Trump is on a roll. There’s a war for our souls and beliefs, and the media is losing. They’ve got all the outreach tools and you’d think we didn’t stand a chance. But Donald Trump has changed all that. He has praised our Creator, and I think he may be getting help. If I’m right, and God is on Donald Trump’s side, Katy bar the door.

There’s trouble in the Straits of Hormuz. We were escorting ships back and forth, but things have changed. It’s hard to know what’s going on in the war with Iran, because information is at a premium, and some of it cannot be believed. We know that Trump is on the job, so we’re sleeping better already.  

Ukraine? I don’t like or trust Zelensky. He’s an actor for pity’s sake, and he thinks we owe it to Europe to drive the Russians back. But the Russians have already taken swaths of the Ukraine, and may want the whole thing. Zelensky was in a comedy troupe, and toured Russia. I don’t even want to know what kind of comedy that was. I don’t think we’d have found it funny. But Zelensky is all decked out in his personally approved uniform, and it doesn’t belong in our White House. It’s like we owe it to the world to bail out Ukraine?  

I know all the arguments, creeping totalitarianism and all that. I don’t have the solution, but none is showing up. Zelensky can keep up appearances but the writing is on the wall. I hope we won’t send any more weapons. They can work it out, but if they can’t, what skin is it off our nose?  

There’s always been trouble over there!  Read the Bible.             

Mark

The post Weekly Update by Mark Armstrong – May 8, 2026 first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

“Throughout this historic year, we rejoice in the triumph of the American spirit and rededicate ourselves to the cause of liberty and justice for all,” writes Trump. “In special honor of 250 glorious years of American independence and on the weekend of Rededicate 250 — a national jubilee of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving — Jewish Americans are encouraged to observe a national Sabbath.”

Rededicate 250 is a Christian gathering in Washington on Sunday, May 17, that will be attended by GOP officials and prominent Christian clergy.

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Source: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/trump-calls-on-us-jews-to-dedicate-next-shabbat-to-americas-250th-anniversary-celebration/?fbclid=IwY2xjawRrG_BleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeLAlzsfvFHJ9Z2Uxf02-BNzMv1solvPen8jJxiifdZIMyk7vnY-wGf3It__M_aem_Z2Z3P1QGmIq26-dS8Z1Gyw

The post Trump calls on US Jews to dedicate next Shabbat to America’s 250th anniversary celebration first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was allegedly lying in wait inside the Washington Hilton Hotel to target the president and other officials at the White House Correspondents dinner.

Allen was allegedly armed with a shotgun, handgun, and knives when he charged a security checkpoint outside the packed black-tie gala which was being held in the ballroom of the venue.

President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, as well as other senior government officials and journalists were all inside.

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Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/38934291/trump-target-white-house-shooting-suspect-cole-tomas-allen/?fbclid=IwY2xjawRh1FhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe2vmI6QTDlFa85Rw1FInLuCWXhjTVesONCoO8jcTmhKOiQ6IovyOUJcsZxFo_aem_ixSwEASjN1_ANke0XnKWvA

The post SICK WRITINGS Teacher gunman called himself ‘Friendly Federal Assassin’ & sent anti-Trump manifesto to family minutes before shooting first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

The Defense Department released video footage of U.S. forces on the deck of the oil tanker Majestic X, which was seized in the Indian Ocean.

“We will continue global maritime enforcement to disrupt illicit networks and interdict vessels providing material support to Iran, wherever they operate,” a Pentagon statement said.

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Source: https://apnews.com/article/us-iran-war-hormuz-israel-pakistan-ceasefire-april-22-2026-267230f7f32b436822484479313840f7?fbclid=IwY2xjawRd3ftleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEel4xA5WsbIMflC2Rjvnpxl7MbpSN036QdG9sdezsagCS8AFiaAfw55FtCopM_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw

The post US military says it seizes another oil tanker associated with Iran first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

The President previously threatened to resume the war if Iran failed to reach a deal by Wednesday’s deadline at 8pm ET (1am BST)

Trump wrote that ‘based on the fact that the government of Iran is seriously fractured’, the US military would hold off striking ‘until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal.’

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Source: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15753229/Vance-CANCELS-Iran-peace-talks-amid-fears-Trump-set-launch-ferocious-bombing-campaign-civilian-infrastructure.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawRXdE5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe-UmautvKKgA5–nVOrKexeZAj7f_l1jouc-_qtQuJRYtswnKkLxVZOqCtmI_aem_9Rc4bW0xqcGG5JbB8qjRtA

The post Trump EXTENDS Iran ceasefire again as he backs off bombing threat amid chaos among ‘seriously fractured’ Tehran leadership first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.