Good morning. Welcome to way too early, the show that somehow let me back into the building.

Yeah, I kind of snuck in, to be honest. I'm Sam Stein in for Ali Vitale on this Monday, May 18th.

And as always, we're going to start with the news.

President Trump is once again issuing an apocalyptic threat to Iran, posting on truth social yesterday.

Quote, the clock is ticking and they better get moving fast or there won't be anything left of them.

Now, that familiar ominous warning comes shortly after the president spoke with Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Metanyahu, about the war in Iran.

It also comes as Axios is reporting that the president is expected to convene his top national

security team in the situation room tomorrow to discuss military options.

That's according to two U.S. officials.

Meanwhile, the tenuous truce is tested more each day.

A drone sparked a fire yesterday on the edge of a nuclear power plant in the UAE, and what authorities are calling a, quote, unprovoked terrorist attack as they investigate the source

of the strike.

And Saudi Arabia intercepted drones reportedly fired from Iraq.

The military advisor to Iran's supreme leader also issued this warning, quote,

our armed forces, fingers are on the trigger while diplomacy is also continuing.

And fresh off his summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, President Trump, is now raising doubts

about decades-long United States military support for Taiwan, suggesting in an interview with

Fox News late last week that a potential multi-billion dollar weapons sale with the island could

be used as a, quote, negotiating chip with China.

Should the people of Taiwan feel more or less secure after your meetings with President Xi?

Neutral.

Has the policy changed at all?

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