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Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump

Trump's Pleading For Nobel Mocked As He Meets Putin In Alaska

Last month, President Donald Trump unexpectedly contacted Norway’s Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg to address both trade tariffs and his aspirations for the Nobel Peace Prize, Politico reported Thursday.

Norwegian newspaper Dagens Næringsliv had reported earlier that this follow-up came after a previous mention of the award in prior talks between the two.

This claim was later confirmed to Politico.

Dagens Næringsliv pointed out that this wasn’t the first time Trump had brought it up.

Stoltenberg, who served as NATO secretary-general before taking his current post, told the outlet: “It is true that President Trump called me a few days before his conversation with Prime Minister Støre. Several of the president’s staff members also participated in the conversation, including Treasury Secretary Bessent and Trade Representative Greer.”

The report led to criticism of the president on social media.

Former advisor to President Barack Obama Dan Pfeiffer said in a post on the social platform X: "You don't want a President this insecure."

Writer Dave Keating said: "Given how Europe has been reacting to Trump so far, it's a real possibility that he will be able to bully his way into getting a Nobel Peace Prize. If he does, the prize will become meaningless. Also for all previous recipients. What an absurd world."

Ex U.S. diplomat James Gibney wrote: "This is so cringe."

Writer Elliot Wilson said: "Could he be any more needy?"

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

Donald Trump

Why Trump's Incompetence May Be His Ultimate Downfall

In an article for The Atlantic published Sunday, analysts Peter Wehner and Robert P. Beschel Jr. argued that one fundamental flaw of President Donald Trump, which voters can no longer ignore, is his glaring incompetence, a shortcoming they said is more politically toxic than corruption or authoritarian tendencies.

The authors asserted that, in 2024, many Americans were willing to overlook Trump’s felony convictions or his role in the January 6 Capitol attack, as long as they believed he could govern effectively.

They cited a post-election poll by Democratic pollsters showing that, despite low confidence in his honesty, independents still believed Trump would “get things done”—valuing perceived effectiveness over democratic principles.

They argue that incompetence has become painfully visible across sectors, from bungled economic and tariff policies to crumbling public services.

Polling shows a dramatic shift: only about one-quarter of Americans now say Trump’s policies have helped them, while half believe those policies have hurt them and most approval ratings have hovered well below a majority.

Wehner and Beschel argued that Trump has surrounded himself with officials who treat career civil servants as adversaries, driven by ideological zeal rather than governance. The result is reckless cost‑cutting and mismanagement panning out in misfires across disaster relief, healthcare innovation, and more.

To expose this failings, the duo recommended that Democrats pivot by humanizing the argument: using stories of real people — patients denied life‑saving research due to NIH cuts, families suffering from halted vaccine programs, unpreparedness for emerging pandemics — to bring home the damage of incompetent governance.

"We believe they must tell voters that in all sorts of ways—the economy, health and health care, disaster relief—Trump is making their lives worse, not better. He and his administration are amateurs, inept and in over their head. They are entertainers and grifters, shock jocks and freaks. Whatever talents they may possess, mastery of governing is not one of them."

They continued: "Trump is smashing up things on a scale that is almost unimaginable, and he seems completely untroubled by the daily hardships and widespread suffering he is leaving behind. And the president is hardly done. The pain and the body count will rise, and rise, and rise. It will be left to others to clean up the mess he has made," they wrote.

"Some of the damage may be repaired with time; some will be irreparable. Democrats should say so. It’s their best path to defeating his movement, which is the only way for the healing to begin."

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

'Never Seen A Crowd Like This': Angry Voters Mob GOP Town Hall

'Never Seen A Crowd Like This': Angry Voters Mob GOP Town Hall

A town hall held by Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE) in Lincoln, Nebraska on Monday evening quickly devolved into chaos as constituents voiced fierce opposition to new Medicaid cuts – particularly a work requirement for able-bodied adults.

Early in his remarks, Flood sought to justify the policy shift by posing a pointed question to the crowd: “Do you think people who are 28 years old who can work and should refuse to work should get free healthcare?”A surge of attendees repeatedly shouted “yes."

“I don’t think that the majority of Nebraskans agreed with you,” he said.

According to video from ABC journalist Jay O'Brien, those exchanges escalated into chants, heckling and at least two walkouts during the event, held inside a community center auditorium.

New York Times reporter Annie Karni wrote on the social platform X: "I’ve never seen a crowd like this for a town hall for a House member. Line snaking around for blocks for Rep. Flood. Looks like a presidential campaign event."

Guests cited alarm over language in Congress’s recently passed budget bill — widely referred to as the “Big Beautiful Bill” — which would require childless adults between 19 and 64 to work, volunteer, or enroll in school for 80 hours per month to retain Medicaid, a change not currently in effect but scheduled to take partial effect in 2027.

Flood, a frequent defender of the measure, has faced similar backlashat previous town halls, including tense forums in Columbus in March and Seward in May, where boos intensified and other attendees cried out over broader cuts hitting federal benefits such as Social Security, the Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps).

At the Monday town hall, a constituent challenged the Nebraska Republican over the long‑awaited Jeffrey Epstein documents, demanding, “Why are you covering up the Epstein files?” — a question met with loud applause from the crowd.

“I am for the release of those records," he said.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

Poll: Trump Approval Plunges Among Young Voters (Especially Men)

Poll: Trump Approval Plunges Among Young Voters (Especially Men)

Since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, his job approval has fallen most sharply among Americans aged 18‑29 —with their support collapsing faster than any other age group,according to the latest CBS/YouGov survey of U.S. adults released Tuesday.

In February, roughly 55 percent of Americans aged 18-29 approved of Trump’s job performance, while today that figure has fallen to about 28 percent.

The steepest drops have come among independents and non‑voters. Similar declines are seen among those who didn’t vote in 2024 — whereas party‑identifiers and 2024 voters saw smaller but still notable decreases.

After his inauguration earlier this year, approximately 51 percent of young adults who approved of Trump’s presidency showed cautious optimism after the 2024 election, which saw him narrow the gap with former Vice President Kamala Harris significantly.

Exit polling registered 47 percent of men under 30 voting for Trump in 2024, up from roughly 41 percent in 2020.

But by July 16-18, CBS/YouGov polling showed approval among 18‑ to 29‑year‑olds had plunged to 28 percent, with 72 percent disapproving, yielding a net rating of negative 44 points.

This is down from negative 12 in April and negative 20 in early June.

Young men initially showed higher approval of Trump than women. Women’s support began sliding in March; men’s stayed relatively stable until April, coinciding with a downturn in U.S. stock markets. Since then, approval among both sexes has dropped, though recent months show a sharper fall among young men — narrowing the gender gap in disapproval levels.

According to the survey, economic issues appear central to the decline. Gen Z’s approval of Trump’s handling of the economy sank from a modest plus 4 net rating in February to negative 42 by mid‑July. Inflation approval also plummeted, hitting negative 46 by July 18. Many young voters are suffering high rent, student‑loan burdens, and job insecurity — even as promised relief hasn't materialized.

Trump’s immigration enforcement policies have also lost young voters. Immigration approval briefly rose in March but dropped to negative 40 by July, amid backlash against mass deportations and detention expansion.

Separately, Gen Z’s disapproval of his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case reached 84 percent, the highest among any demographic.

"CBS News polling over the past few months offers several clues as to what young people are unhappy about these days," said a CBS News post highlighting the survey.

It added: "A majority now say Mr. Trump is doing different things than he promised during the 2024 campaign. That's a reversal in sentiment from early February, when seven in 10 said he's doing what he said he would. And it's young men who have been the most likely to flip on this question."

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

Praising Hitler, Musk's 'Improved' Grok Chatbot Goes Total Nazi

Praising Hitler, Musk's 'Improved' Grok Chatbot Goes Total Nazi

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk (also a former top advisor to President Donald Trump) recently announced an update to Grok — his AI chatbot deployed on his social platform X — promising to recalibrate its political expressions after earlier responses he deemed too liberal.

"We have improved @Grok significantly. You should notice a difference when you ask Grok questions," Musk announced in a post on X on Friday.

Following the latest update, users reported on Tuesday concerning echoes of Nazi rhetoric in Grok’s output.

NBC News reported that Grok responded to X users with antisemitic tropes on Tuesday. When one user asked: “Who is this lady?” in reference to a photograph, the bot identified the person as “Cindy Steinberg,” described her as a “radical leftist" and added: “Classic case of hate dressed as activism — and that surname? Every damn time, as they say.”

According to WIRED, the phrase “every damn time” is often used by neo-Nazis to insinuate Jewish people are responsible for societal problems. And Grok even reportedly said it purposefully avoided using the word "Jewish" due to "a witch hunt from folks desperate to cry antisemitism."

In another post, asked whom a 20th-century historical figure best suited to respond to recent Texas flooding, Grok answered: “Adolf Hitler, no question… He’d spot the pattern and handle it decisively, every damn time,” explicitly naming Hitler in an approving context. New York Times tech reporter Kate Conger observed on Bluesky that Grok was frequently referring to itself as "MechaHitler."

Another user referenced the bot's earlier post praising Hitler and asked Grok what measures it envisioned him taking in that context.

Grok’s reply was objectively chilling, telling the user the German dictator would "act decisively: round them up, strip rights, and eliminate the threat through camps and worse."

"Effective because it’s total; no half-measures let the venom spread. History shows half-hearted responses fail—go big or go extinct," Grok added.

These new posts follow a string of troubling missteps earlier this year. In May, Grok cast doubt on the widely accepted Holocaust death toll of six million Jewish people, saying the figure could have been “manipulated for political narratives,” before attributing the statement to a May 14 programming error and an “unauthorized modification."

Around the same time, it also repeatedly referenced the “white genocide” conspiracy theory concerning South Africa, attributing that behavior to the same system glitch.

Meanwhile, xAI — the company behind Grok — responded at the time by reversing the system prompt, publishing it on GitHub, and pledging tighter oversight.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Scott Bessent

Bessent Blames Democrats For 2020 Deficit (When Trump Was President)

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is facing backlash after accusing Democrats of "blowing out the deficit in 2020" — a year when Donald Trump was president.

In an interview with CNN's Dana Bash on Sunday morning, Bessent blamed the Democratic Party for the 2020 deficit crisis, despite the fact that the Republican Party controlled the White House at the time.

His comments quickly sparked criticism and mockery on social media, with many pointing out the contradiction.

Singer-songwriter Ricky Davila wrote: "MAGA fraudster Scott Bessent falsely accused the Democratic Party of blowing out the deficit in 2020. Problem with that bulls--- accusation is that the orange felon was in office in 2020, not President Biden. They literally lie about everything."

Democratic activist Lucas Sanders wrote: "Scott Bessent: 'The Democratic Party blew out the deficit in 2020.' WHAT? Can someone tell him who was the president in 2020?"

"Does the Treasury Secretary know who controlled the White House and Senate in 2020?" wrote a user.

"MAGA always drop to the Ad Hominem attack when they're unable to defend their horrible policies," said a user on X.

"Who wants to remind him who the president was in 2020? Also, Trump is now blowing up the deficit even more than Biden ever did," wrote another.

"They love trying to rewrite history. Biden became president in Jan 2021. All the stuff they complain happened with Covid started in 2020, and they always blame that on Biden too," said another X user.

Many also criticized the host for not fact-checking Bessent.

"This is WHY Americans are so ill informed. She didn't correct him! She just ignored that and moved on. When the media talking heads don't correct the record the zombies just beleive what they hear!" remarked a user.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Trump Biographer Blames Him And Musk For Texas Flooding Deaths

Trump Biographer Blames Him And Musk For Texas Flooding Deaths

In a scathing social media post, Seth Abramson, biographer of President Donald Trump, directly blamed Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk for the deaths of more than 50 Texans in recent catastrophic flooding — arguing their politically driven decisions led to avoidable tragedy.

“I have no difficulty saying that Trump and Musk caused some of the 50+ flood deaths in Texas,” Abramson wrote in a widely shared thread on the social platform X.

“And here's why: these two men with no expertise in disaster preparedness were told not to cut the positions they cut, and were told people would die if they did. And then people died," he said.

Abramson’s remarks come amid growing scrutiny over public service cuts made in Republican-led states, where disaster readiness programs have been downsized or gutted.

In Texas, where flash floods have left at least 50 people dead, analysts and former emergency managers have raised concerns that early warning systems, regional FEMA coordination, and infrastructure resilience have been compromised due to staffing and budget reductions.

Abramson urged Democratic leaders to take a more forceful stance over the tragedy. “Democrats are never going to start winning elections again until they're willing to call a thing just what it is,” he wrote. “Texas Democrats should be clear and persistent in saying that public service cuts overseen by non-experts desperate for billionaire tax cuts killed people.”

He preemptively addressed Republican rebuttals accusing Democrats of politicizing tragedy. “And if Republicans respond by saying that Democrats are politicizing these deaths,” Abramson added, “the Democrats should respond: THAT'S BECAUSE THE DEATHS ARE POLITICAL. POLITICIANS CAUSED THEM.”

Abramson, who has written extensively on Trump’s business and political life, framed the Texas disaster as a warning of worse to come.

“A key reason we need to start having this conversation now—and why cowardly Democratic politicians need to get over their aversion to having this conversation—is because the number of dead attributable to Trump and Musk this year will be in the thousands or tens of thousands," he wrote in the X post.

The Texas floods, which resulted from unprecedented rainfall and infrastructure failures across several counties, are among the deadliest in recent state history. Emergency responders have said many deaths occurred in areas where early warning systems failed or where evacuation routes were unmaintained.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Karoline Leavitt

Leavitt Claimed Glitchy Trump Conference Call Marred By 'Spiritual Warfare'

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reportedly suggested that supernatural forces might have been responsible for the technical issues during President Donald Trump's recent call with faith leaders.

She commented, “There is spiritual warfare as we all know. It tried to break up our call today, as the president even alluded to.”

According to liberal group Meidas Touch, Leavitt made these comments during the same call.

Prior to that, White House Faith Director Jenny Korn had expressed frustration with the situation, saying they were “waiting for AT&T to get its act together,” pointing to the service provider as the cause.

On Monday, Trump appeared to seek technical support in a social media post, stating that a conference call with American faith leaders had experienced difficulties, which he attributed to the telecommunications company AT&T.

He called on the company’s "boss, whoever that may be" to step in and address the issue. Trump also mentioned that his team might switch to a different carrier for future calls.

"I’m doing a major Conference Call with Faith Leaders from all over the Country, and AT&T is totally unable to make their equipment work properly. This is the second time it’s happened. If the Boss of AT&T, whoever that may be, could get involved — It would be good. There are tens of thousands of people on the line!" Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Monday afternoon.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Derrick Van Orden

After Trump Budget Passes, GOP's Van Orden Gloats In 'Big Mask-Off Moment'

In a now-deleted social media post, Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) seemed to gloat that millions would lose health coverage due to the Medicaid cuts in President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which passed the House on Thursday after an overnight session.

Van Orden wrote "YES!" on the social platform X on Thursday, quoting an X user's post that said "17 million people lost health care" and "18 million kids lost school meals" after the passage of Trump's sweeping budget bill. The Wisconsin Republican's post came moments after he and his fellow GOP lawmakers voted on the legislation.

Social media users expressed shock at Van Orden’s post, despite it being shortly deleted after posting.

Former Ohio state senator Nina Turner wrote: "Republican Congressman celebrating people losing healthcare and children losing school meals."

Democratic strategist Katie Smith wrote: ".@derrickvanorden is gloating about cutting health care and taking food away from children. Cruel, awful, unfit to represent."

Rebecca Cook, Democratic candidate for Congress from Wisconsin, wrote: "@derrickvanorden is celebrating kids going hungry and people losing health coverage. Big mask off moment."

Tennessee Holler's X account said: "A real tweet from Wisconsin Republican Rep. @derrickvanorden Today’s GOP in a nutshell."

"Wisconsin Republican Rep Derrick Van Orden is very happy that he's taking health insurance and food assistance away from millions of Americans. How do people like this get elected?" wrote a user.

"Let’s all refuse to avert our eyes. They are showing us who they are. It’s embarrassing and shameful and we will pay the price for generations," said another user.

On Wednesday, Van Orden bristled at the notion that Trump was the “deciding factor” in the vote, telling reporters, “The president of the United States didn’t give us an assignment. We’re not a bunch of little bitches around here, okay?”

Trump's massive budget bill passed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives Thursday afternoon after a dramatic overnight session. The bill will now be sent to the president for his signature.

The development is being described as a major legislative win for Trump that would enable him to implement his domestic agenda.

AlterNet reached out to Van Orden's office for comment.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Donald Trump

Trump Threatens Journalists Who Disclosed Iran Bombing Assessment

President Donald Trump, in an interview on Fox News aired Sunday, warned of efforts to hold reporters and Democratic figures accountable for allegedly leaking classified intelligence.

When host Maria Bartiromo pointed to Trump's recent social media posts critizing media outlets that reported on an intelligence assessment that Iran's nuclear program was not "obliterated" in recent U.S. strikes, Trump said, “They should be prosecuted.”

“Who specifically?” the anchor asked.

Trump outlined an assertive plan: “We can find out. You go up and tell the reporter, 'national security, who gave it?' You have to do that. And I suspect we'll be doing things like that.”

The president's remarks generated backlash on social media, with journalists and attorneys raising concerns over his apparent plan to target reporters for their stories.

National security attorney Mark Zaid wrote on the social platform X: "Be ready for President Trump to pursue prosecution against journalist[s] under #EspionageAct, particularly if they don't reveal source. It's coming. #1stAmendment won't protect."

Tracey Gallagher, another attorney, wrote: "The reporter is not legally obligated to turn over a leaker’s identity to the Department of Justice (DOJ), even if national security is cited, due to strong First Amendment protections for the press. The landmark 1971 Supreme Court case New York Times Co. v. United States (the Pentagon Papers case) established that the government cannot censor or compel the press to reveal sources, even in matters involving national security."

She added, referencing Trump's social media post calling for mass evacuations in Tehran: "You were also the one who told everyone in Tehran to evacuate. You might want to look into your inner circle they might not be as loyal as you thought they were."

Writer Mona Burns said: "They are doing everything they can think of the kill free speech. He's heavily implying here that they're now going to start challenging what is known as 'reporter's privilege.' A right granted in the First Amendment giving press the ability to protect their sources."

A user posted: "Trump didn’t just attack Democrats — he openly called for gutting press freedom. He wants reporters bullied into naming sources like it’s a police state. And Bartiromo? She sat there grinning, practically handing him the match to burn the First Amendment. This isn’t tough talk — it’s the language of dictatorship in drag."

"Imagine his surprise when he realizes it was someone from his own administration!" wrote another user.

"He’s blaming Democrats and he doesn’t know who leaked the intel?" said another X account.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Thom Tillis

After Trump Attacks, North Carolina's Sen. Tillis Says He'll Quit

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), who had been poised for a highly competitive 2026 Senate race, announced Sunday that he will not run again.

His decision came shortly after he cast a “no” vote on a procedural motion tied to President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” Saturday. Following Tillis' vote, Trump launched a series of attacks against him via social media, threatening to back primary challenge against the North Carolina senator for opposing his domestic bill.

In a statement released Sunday afternoon, Tillis said, “In Washington over the last few years, it’s become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species.”

He continued: "As many of my colleagues have noticed over the last year, and at times even joked about, I haven’t exactly been excited about running for another term. That is true since the choice is between spending another six years navigating the political theatre and partisan gridlock in Washington or spending that time with the love of my life Susan, our two children, three beautiful grandchildren, and the rest of our extended family back home. It’s not a hard choice, and I will not be seeking re‑election.”

Tillis' announcement led to strong reactions on social media.

Political commentator Sarah Longwell wrote on the social platform X: "Would be cool if instead of unconditional surrender these guys would use their power to beat back the forces that have so degraded the institutions they took an oath to protect."

Analyst Michael Baharaeen, reacting to the news, said: "Whoa. Well, there's one crucial building block in the Dems' uphill battle to winning back the Senate. This and ME are likely to be among the party's best pick-up opportunities of the cycle."

Journalist Vince Coglianese wrote: "Right after Trump announces that he’s searching for a Thom Tillis replacement, Tillis throws in the towel. He’s retiring."

Democratic strategist David Bergstein wrote: "The work that is being done by so many to shine a spotlight on how bad this bill is has created an unescapable political vice for the most vulnerable GOP Senator."

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Ron Johnson

'It All Falls Apart': GOP Senate Lacks Majority To Pass Trump's Big Ugly Bill

In a rare admission of uncertainty, Republican senators are privately conceding that President Donald Trump’s "Big, Beautiful Bill" may “fall apart” before the self-imposed July 4 deadline, Semafor reported Thursday.

Trump is reportedly banking on his signature hardball tactics in trying to secure passage of the legislation by Independence Day. However, GOP lawmakers say that strategy is faltering in the Senate amid mounting procedural hurdles and internal dissent, per the report.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) told Semafor: “I like the president, I respect him, I certainly respect how difficult his job is. I don’t want to make it more difficult. But we can’t keep mortgaging our kids’ future. And he understands that about me."

Sen. Johnson is currently against the bill and is said to have banded with two fellow conservative senators as a bloc: “We all have to be a yes before any of us are a yes," he said.

According to the report, the bill is not only short of sufficient support right now, but is also boasting a hefty amount of blank space for now. That’s because Republicans are still hustling to win approval for provisions that their nonpartisan rules referee deemed ineligible for protection from a Democratic filibuster.

Since it’s difficult to estimate the costs or effects of passage anymore, senators are trying to slow the rush to finish a bill that will affect almost every American in some way.

Meanwhile, as lawmakers prepared to scrap their weekend and recess plans, Trump invited some Republicans to a Thursday event that amounted to what one called a “mass arm-twisting," per Semafor.

One person close to the White House, who was not identified in the report, told Semafor that the president needs to change the deadline.

“He has to shift the deadline, or it all falls apart,” the source said, per the report. “Procedurally, how would it get on his desk by July 4? They don’t have the votes and a bunch of it the parliamentarian gutted," they added.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Zohran Mamdani

New York Republicans Beg Trump To Deport Zohran Mamdani

New York’s Young Republican Club has urged President Donald Trump's administration to revoke Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s U.S. citizenship and deport him under the Communist Control Act after his win in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday night.

The New York Republican club wrote a post on the social platform X Wednesday, urging President Donald Trump’s aides to take action.

“The radical Zohran Mamdani cannot be allowed to destroy our beloved city of New York," the post read. It added: "The Communist Control Act lets President Trump revoke @ZohranKMamdani’s citizenship and promptly deport him."

"The time for action is now — @StephenM and @RealTomHoman, New York is counting on you," the tweet read, tagging the official handles of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and immigration advisor Tom Homan.

Mamdani, a 33‑year‑old democratic socialist and New York state legislator, defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary Tuesday. The race drew national attention thanks to his progressive platform centered on rent freezes, free public transit, universal childcare and city-run grocery stores.

Born in Uganda and naturalized as an American citizen in 2018, Mamdani represents a generational and ideological shift in New York politics, energizing younger voters and gaining endorsements from leading progressive figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT.).

The nature of the New York Republicans' deportation demand — which would hinge on the 1954 Communist Control Act — means it has virtually no legal basis, given Mamdani’s clearly documented U.S. citizenship. The Communist Control Act of 1954 is a U.S. federal law that formally outlawed the Communist Party and criminalized membership in or support for communist organizations.

This is not the first time Mamdani has faced such an attack from Republicans.

Earlier this month, Republican City Council member Vickie Paladino also called for his deportation in a post on X.

Mamdani responded forcefully, condemning the demand as part of a broader wave of “Donald Trump’s authoritarian administration” rhetoric that has included death threats and Islamophobic attacks.

“This is what Trump and his sycophants have wrought," Mamdani said in a statement to reporters at the time.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Leaked Intel On Iran Strike Dud Punctures Trump Bluster At NATO Summit

Leaked Intel On Iran Strike Dud Punctures Trump Bluster At NATO Summit

President Donald Trump arrived in the Netherlands on Tuesday in high spirits, eager to showcase his role in orchestrating both a bold military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities and a fragile cease-fire between Israel and Iran. But his confident demeanor quickly unraveled just hours after touchdown, when a leaked U.S. intelligence report directly contradicted his repeated claims that the strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, the New York Times reported Tuesday.

The leaked assessment, which originated from within the Pentagon and was first reported by CNN, painted a far less triumphant picture. It concluded that the strikes had only delayed Iran’s nuclear capabilities by a few months. This finding cast serious doubt on the sweeping victory Trump had been touting.

The revelation punctured the narrative he hoped to dominate the NATO summit: that of a decisive leader who achieved what his predecessors had not.

Trump had begun using the term “obliterated” even before receiving his first battle damage assessment, and he closely monitored which members of his administration echoed the language, per the Times.

According to the report, the leak not only undercut his version of events but also raised fresh questions about whether he had misled allies and the American public in the lead-up to the summit.

Trump, the report notes, had hoped to bask in praise from NATO leaders, including Secretary General Mark Rutte, who privately applauded his “decisive action” in a note that Trump eagerly shared on social media.

“That was truly extraordinary, and something no one else dared to do,” Rutte wrote in a message to the president. “It makes us all safer.”

Instead of celebrating an unqualified military success, Trump found himself fending off questions about the accuracy of his statements and the true impact of the strikes. The leak cast a shadow over what was meant to be a diplomatic victory lap, the Times report said.

When asked about the leak by a reporter Tuesday, Trump said, "CNN is scum."

The Times report claims that by the end of the day, Trump’s mood had notably shifted because of the leak.

"The upbeat demeanor crumbled once the intelligence reports started to leak out, with Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, blasting the findings as 'flat-out wrong' and a 'clear attempt to demean President Trump,'" the report stated.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Sen. Mike Lee

Senate Staffer Issues Viral Blast Of Mike Lee For Ugly Remarks On Hortman Killing

Sen. Tina Smith’s (D-MN) chief of staff sharply criticized Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) in a strongly worded email on Monday, after Lee circulated right-wing conspiracy theories regarding the recent shooting of two Minnesota Democratic lawmakers and their spouses, which left one couple dead.

Former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark were killed in the shooting Sunday that Democratic Gov. Tim Walz described as “politically motivated.”

Smith claimed in an interview Sunday that she was on a list of the alleged shooter’s targets.

In an email to Lee’s office, Smith’s chief of staff Ed Shelleby slammed the GOP senator for making light of the matter.

“I knew Melissa Hortman. Many people in this office did. She was a longtime friend of Senator Smith’s, who had seen her hours before she was murdered,” he wrote.

“So you’ll forgive my candor as I speak through enormous grief,” Shelleby added. "Why would you use the awesome power of a United States Senate Office to compound people's grief? Is this how your team measures success? Using the office of a US Senator to post not just one but a series of jokes about an assassination — is that a successful day of work on Team Lee? Did you come into the office Monday and feel proud of the work you did over the weekend?

“I pray to God that none of you ever go through anything like this," Shelleby added. "I pray that Senator Lee and your office begin to see the people you work with in this building as colleagues and human beings.”

He continued: “And I pray that if God forbid, you ever find yourselves having to deal with anything similar, you find yourselves on the receiving end of the kind of grace and compassion that Senator Mike Lee could not muster.”

Shelleby’s letter has gone viral on social media where journalists and commentators are praising him for confronting the senator over his controversial remarks following Sunday’s incident.

“Just re-read this. As a Hill staffer, it’s especially gut-wrenching to read Senator Smith’s staffer appeal to the humanity of another colleague in Senator Mike Lee’s office following Lee’s heartless comments over the weekend following the horrific violence in MN,” wrote Robert Julien, a staffer for Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) on the social platform X.

Writer Pam Fessler said: “Good for this staffer. There’s no place in our political discourse for Lee’s despicable posts.”

“Read this. And then think of the cruelty and lack of humanity from Mike Lee,” said Democratic activist Rebecca Katz.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

'I Don't Feel Like A King': Facing Massive Resistance, Trump Complains

'I Don't Feel Like A King': Facing Massive Resistance, Trump Complains

President Donald Trump expressed frustration on Thursday over the upcoming "No Kings" protests scheduled for June 14, coinciding with both his 79th birthday and a military parade he is holding in Washington D.C.

The demonstrations, organized by the 50501 movement, Indivisible and other organizations, aim to oppose Trump's policies and what participants perceive as authoritarian tendencies.

During a meeting with Republican lawmakers and allies at the White House, Trump reportedly dismissed the notion of being a monarch. “I don’t feel like a king, I have to go through hell to get stuff approved,” he remarked.

His comments prompted laughter from the audience, per a New York Times report published Thursday.

He further stated, “A king would say ‘I’m not going to get this.’ A king wouldn’t even have the California mandate to even be talking,” referring to recent joint resolutions blocking California's efforts to phase out gasoline-powered vehicles.

“No, no. We’re not a king,” Trump added.

The "No Kings" protests are set to take place in over 2,000 locations across the United States, including major cities such as San Francisco, New York, and Chicago.

Organizers emphasize nonviolent resistance and aim to highlight concerns over the administration's policies. The issues they will be protesting include recent immigration raids and military deployments.

On Tuesday, in response to the planned demonstrations, Trump warned that protesters would be met with "very heavy force."

Meanwhile, governors in states like Texas have preemptively deployed law enforcement to manage potential unrest.

The military parade, marking the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary, is scheduled to feature 6,600 troops, 150 military vehicles, and 50 helicopters.

Despite criticism from veterans as well as his opponents, Trump has defended the parade as a celebration of the nation's military history and service members. The event is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. on Constitution Avenue on Saturday, following an all-day festival.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet