August 15, 2026

The American Conservative Morning Briefing · Aug 15, 2026 · 5m

Good morning! Today is Saturday, August 15th 2026, and this is The American Conservative's Morning Brief. As the war in Iran enters its 168th day, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent promises unprecedented economic isolation while Ivan Eland argues the shift to sanctions signals a quiet admission that Trump's military campaign has failed. Susan Collins's path to reelection has narrowed sharply after Maine Democrats swapped scandal-plagued Graham Platner for former state senate president Troy Jackson, who now leads in every recent poll and prediction market. Scott Greer argues that AOC's…