Additional reading: As President Donald Trump teases a second round of negotiations with Iran, he is also “sending thousands of additional troops into the Middle East in the coming days,” forces that include “about 6,000 troops aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush and several warships escorting it,” the Washington Post reported. The move comes as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports—which zero ships have broken through since its launch on Monday—puts significant economic pressure on the Islamic Republic. Eric Swalwell’s attorney, Sara Azari, appeared on NewsNation to address rape claims against her client, arguing that “regret is not rape.” “The fact that, you know … you maybe had shame around what you did, or maybe you were in a relationship and shouldn’t have done what you did, doesn’t make it rape,” she said. Swalwell’s Democratic “friends,” from Senator Adam Schiff to billionaire Stephen Cloobeck, say that they’re shocked by the allegations against him, even as political insiders say his misconduct was an open secret. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks: Former president Joe Biden appeared at Syracuse University for a portrait unveiling on Tuesday. After chairman of the board Jeffrey Scruggs, who is black, introduced Biden and exited the stage, Biden brought him back up, saying, “Come here, come here, come here, come here, come here, come here. Doesn’t he look like Barack?” Check out our full Wednesday lineup below. Moderate’ Governor Abigail Spanberger Signs Bill Forcing Virginia Schools To Consider ‘Restorative Disciplinary Practices’ Before Suspending Students New York Marks America’s 250th With Turn to Taxation Without Representation New Database Empirically Proves Everything You Suspected About the New York Times Democrats Who Called Eric Swalwell Their ‘Friend’ Now Say They’re Stunned by Accusations Against Him Swalwell Accuser’s Allegations Corroborated by Campaign Disbursements, Raising Fresh Legal Questions GOP Senators Push To Prohibit US Funding for UNRWA Duke Suspends Students for Justice in Palestine Chapter Over Illustration Depicting ‘Zionism’ as Pig Holding Star of David Thanks for reading the Washington Free Beacon! Subscribe for free to receive new posts.