Coffee Talk with Tiff

April 20, 2026 12:24 pm EDT Tiff Coffee Talk with Tiff 0
Image credit: AI-generated illustration created with ChatGPT

It’s Monday…

Shitshow’s public schedule for…

04/20/2026:


Weekend Recap Rolling Straight into Monday’s Mess…

Kash “Crash” Patel…

The IT-lockout episode is emblematic of Patel’s tumultuous tenure as director of the FBI: He is erratic, suspicious of others, and prone to jumping to conclusions before he has necessary evidence, according to the more than two dozen people I interviewed about Patel’s conduct, including current and former FBI officials, staff at law-enforcement and intelligence agencies, hospitality-industry workers, members of Congress, political operatives, lobbyists, and former advisers. Speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information and private conversations, they described Patel’s tenure as a management failure and his personal behavior as a national-security vulnerability.

They said that the problems with his conduct go well beyond what has been previously known, and include both conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences. His behavior has often alarmed officials at the FBI and the Department of Justice, even as he won support from the White House for his eager participation in Trump’s effort to turn federal law enforcement against the president’s perceived political enemies.

[snip]

On multiple occasions in the past year, members of his security detail had difficulty waking Patel because he was seemingly intoxicated, according to information supplied to Justice Department and White House officials. A request for “breaching equipment”—normally used by SWAT and hostage-rescue teams to quickly gain entry into buildings—was made last year because Patel had been unreachable behind locked doors, according to multiple people familiar with the request.

The Atlantic (gift article). 04/17/2026.

Crash Patel responded…

The rest of the tweet says: And no amount of BS you write will ever deter this FBI from making America safe again and taking down the criminals you love.

Crash Patel told Fox Entertainment’s Maria Bartiromo that he intended to sue The Atlantic.

CBS News reported:

The 19-page lawsuit, filed in the District of Columbia, is seeking $250 million in damages. Sarah Fitzpatrick, the reporter who wrote the story, is also named as a defendant.

Patel and the FBI have repeatedly denied allegations in the story, which included allegations that Patel often drinks to excess. The piece, which cited multiple unnamed current and former officials, also said that Patel’s “irregular presence at FBI headquarters and in field offices” has delayed “time-sensitive decisions” that require the FBI director’s input.

The lawsuit listed 17 allegations in the article that Patel’s legal team alleges were “false and defamatory statements of fact,” including that he “is known to drink to the point of obvious intoxication.”

CBS News. 04/20/2026.

“is known to drink to the point of obvious intoxication.”

*Flashback*

*End Flashback*

Make of that what you will.


Iran War Messaging: Confusion, but Make It Official

As Haldoc covered Friday:

The Washington Post reported on 04/18/2026:

Iran’s military announced Saturday that it was closing the Strait of Hormuz, citing a continued American blockade, leaving the status of access to a vital waterway unclear a day after President Donald Trump and the country declared it open.Two ships reported attacks while attempting to cross the strait, underscoring the fragility of the ceasefire amid diplomatic efforts to end the war.

Washington Post. 04/18/2026.

Sunday, Puddle confirmed that ships had been fired upon.

Speaking of negotiations…

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A Few Moments Later GIFfrom A Few Moments Later GIFs

Will he or won’t he…

The rest of the tweet says: A second round of talks between the US and Iranian delegations are currently planned for Wednesday in Islamabad, they said, but noted that the situation remains fluid due to continued heated public rhetoric by both the US and Iranians. The White House told CNN there is no formal word on timing, but “we expect the delegation to be on the road soon but unclear when.” Trump told the New York Post in a phone interview this morning that the delegation was “heading over now” to Pakistan and would “be there tonight.” But those comments appeared to be premature.

The New York Post:

Iran is saying they aren’t going to the talks…

What to know about the Iran war today:

  • The Iran regime said Monday that it has no plans to attend peace talks in Pakistan with President Trump’s top three negotiators, including Vice President JD Vance, as Tehran balks at what it considers “unreasonable and unrealistic demands” by the White House. 
  • The standoff over the Strait of Hormuz intensified over the weekend as U.S. forces fired on and then seized an Iranian vessel, and with Tehran refusing to accept diplomacy amid the ongoing blockade of its ports and exports.
  • With no clear path to a diplomatic resolution of the seven-week war and the U.S.-Iran ceasefire set to expire on Tuesday evening in the U.S., uncertainty over when the strait might reopen is pushing global oil prices back up and weighing on U.S. stocks.
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About Tiff 3580 Articles
Member of the Free Press who is politically homeless and a political junkie.