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Senate Parliamentarian Enrages GOP With Crushing Blow To Trump's Budget Bill

Senate Parliamentarian Enrages GOP With Crushing Blow To Trump's Budget Bill

The Senate parliamentarian delivered a significant setback to congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump’s extensive domestic agenda on Thursday, otherwise known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

The highly unpopular legislation that’s so central to Trump’s policy goals was already on shaky ground because of its core premise: cutting entitlement programs like Medicaid to fund tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy. Now, about a week before the Trump administration’s self-imposed July 4 signing deadline, it’s also falling apart on procedural grounds.

Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, a nonpartisan adviser who helps senators navigate procedures and rules, determined that several key provisions of the legislation violate the Senate’s budget rules and cannot be included under the fast-track reconciliation process Republicans are using to bypass a Democratic filibuster. Among the casualties are limits on student loan repayment options and a controversial crackdown on states’ use of the “provider tax loophole” to secure more federal Medicaid dollars.

That last one presents a big problem. Nearly every state utilizes the loophole in some form, and senators from states that depend heavily on it—especially those with rural hospitals—have warned they won’t support the bill unless it’s amended.

MacDonough’s ruling forces GOP leaders back to the drawing board. If they cannot salvage the struck-down provisions, they will lose more than $500 billion in planned spending cuts, according to Bobby Kogan, a former Democratic Senate Budget Committee staffer now with the Center for American Progress. And unless they find a work-around, Republicans would need 60 votes to keep those provisions—an unlikely prospect given the GOP’s narrow Senate margin.

Meanwhile, the tax cuts at the core of the bill remain under review.

This isn’t the first time MacDonough has blocked parts of the GOP’s wishlist. She’s previously rejected attempts to cut SNAP benefits and limit federal judges’ authority to block Trump’s policies.

Her decision has sparked immediate outrage among conservatives, with some Republicans now openly calling for her removal.

“The Senate Parliamentarian is not elected. She is not accountable to the American people. Yet she holds veto power over legislation supported by millions of voters,” Rep. Greg Steube of Florida posted on social media.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville went further, attacking the “WOKE parliamentarian” for rejecting cuts to states that fund health care for undocumented immigrants.

“This is a perfect example of why Americans hate THE SWAMP,” the Alabama senator wrote. “Unelected bureaucrats think they know better than U.S. Congressmen who are elected BY THE PEOPLE. Her job is not to push a woke agenda. THE SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN SHOULD BE FIRED ASAP.”

Unsurprisingly, Democrats welcomed the ruling.

“Republicans are scrambling to rewrite parts of this bill to continue advancing their families lose, and billionaires win agenda,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon. “But Democrats stand ready to fully scrutinize any changes and ensure the Byrd Rule is enforced.”

MacDonough, for her part, has blocked many Democratic priorities, including raising the federal minimum wage to $15 and parts of the party’s immigration reform efforts. She is a neutral rules referee, not a political player. If Republicans dislike the process, they can always eliminate the filibuster, a tactic which effectively requires a 60-vote supermajority to pass legislation. So far, they have not.

Nevertheless, the parliamentarian’s ruling could prove decisive. Senate Republicans had hoped to vote this weekend or sooner to give the House time to finalize changes and get the bill to Trump’s desk before his holiday deadline. That timeline now appears uncertain.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune attempted to downplay the chaos.

“These are speed bumps along the way; we anticipated those and so we have contingency plans,” Thune said. He also added that Republicans wouldn’t try to overrule MacDonough’s guidance.

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was less optimistic, suggesting the GOP would “probably” still hold a vote this weekend.

Behind the scenes, Republicans are trying to modify the provisions MacDonough struck down, though it remains unclear whether they can be tweaked or must be entirely removed. One GOP source told Axios that the party still hopes to “find a solution to achieve the desired results.”

If not, they’re stuck. And for Trump, it’s another prominent legislative obstacle—this time from an unelected rules referee standing between him and a desperately wanted victory.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Renaming Naval Ship, Hegseth Escalates Pentagon Offensive Against Civil Rights

Renaming Naval Ship, Hegseth Escalates Pentagon Offensive Against Civil Rights

As part of his ongoing war against diversity, equity, and inclusion, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to rename USNS Harvey Milk, the ship honoring the slain gay rights icon and Navy veteran.

A defense official confirmed the decision to multiple outlets, noting that the timing was deliberate, with June being Pride Month.

Military.com first reported the expected name change, and CBS News later obtained internal Navy documents detailing rollout timelines for announcing the new name. So far, the replacement name has not been disclosed.

USNS Harvey Milk is part of the John Lewis class of oilers, a group of ships named after trailblazing civil rights figures. Others in the class are named after Earl Warren, Robert F. Kennedy, Lucy Stone, and Sojourner Truth. But now, all are under threat of being renamed.

And CBS reports that Harvey Milk is just the start. Other ships on Hegseth’s target list include those named after Thurgood Marshall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Harriet Tubman, Dolores Huerta, and Medgar Evers. All of it is part of a broader push to erase progressive and civil rights figures from military honors.

Ship renamings are rare and haven’t happened at the direction of a defense secretary in recent memory. The last renaming in 2023 followed a congressional commission’s recommendation to scrub Confederate-linked names from military assets, including USS Chancellorsville and USNS Maury.

But this time, the motivation isn’t historical reckoning. It’s political retribution.

Hegseth’s order is part of a sweeping effort to wipe out so-called “wokeism” in the ranks, under the banner of restoring “warrior culture.” Since taking office, he’s purged DEI content from military websites, banned observances like Pride Month, and sought to undo civil rights advances. He once even suggested renaming the B-29 Enola Gay—not because of history… but because “gay” is in the name.

“Our military is the most powerful in the world – but this spiteful move does not strengthen our national security or the ‘warrior’ ethos,” former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote on X. “It is a shameful, vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American Dream.”

Harvey Milk was one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States, and the first in California. He served in the Navy as a diving officer during the Korean War, at a time when gay service members had to serve in silence. In 1955, after being questioned by Navy investigators about his sexuality, he was forced to resign with the rank of lieutenant junior grade.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos

 

Elon Musk

Musk Rages Over Report That Tesla Board May Oust Him

Multibillionaire Elon Musk might be voluntarily stepping away from the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, but his grip on the troubled automaker Tesla is a different story—or so he’d like you to believe.

In yet another late-night social media meltdown, Musk lashed out at The Wall Street Journal over a report claiming that Tesla’s board is actively searching for his replacement as CEO.

The Journal, owned by the Murdoch family, reported that the eight-member board had reached out to multiple executive search firms and even narrowed its efforts to one top firm—all while Musk was off playing bureaucratic demolition man at DOGE.

Musk, predictably, denied the story with his usual mix of bluster and all-caps fury.

“It is an EXTREMELY BAD BREACH OF ETHICS that the [Journal] would publish a DELIBERATELY FALSE ARTICLE and fail to include an unequivocal denial,” from the board, he wrote in one post.

Then, around 2 AM Eastern Time on Thursday, he added, “WSJ is a discredit to journalism.”

A spokesperson for Tesla also issued a denial, but the Journal hasn’t pulled the story, suggesting that its reporters are confident they’ve seen or heard something the board doesn’t want public.

And frankly, it’s not hard to see why Tesla might be quietly looking for a way out.

The company is coming off a brutal quarter, with slumping sales, sliding revenue, and rising anxiety over President Donald Trump’s tariffs. And Musk’s semi-sabbatical from Tesla to run DOGE hasn’t helped. While he’s been busy slashing federal jobs and gutting public programs, Tesla has been losing market share, investor confidence, and—based on recent protests—public goodwill.

But Musk isn’t just unpopular in the United States; Tesla’s global sales are tanking, too.

In France, sales fell 59.4% last month compared to the year before, and in Denmark, they plummeted 67.2%. And Reuters reported that, while competition from cheaper electric vehicles is cutting into Tesla’s market share in Europe, Musk’s open embrace of far-right politics has also fueled protests around the world.

Not even Trump’s attempt to turn the White House into a glorified Tesla showroom has reversed the damage. Musk’s side gig at DOGE isn’t just a distraction anymore—it’s a liability.

Musk has said that he plans to spend more time at Tesla and scale back his work at DOGE, but that might be too little, too late. Demonstrators have targeted Tesla over Musk’s role in the Trump administration, while the company scrambles to keep buyers interested. It’s now sending desperate texts, conducting surveys, and even offering cash incentives to sell more cars.

Desperation isn’t a great look for a company once billed as the future of transportation.

If the Journal’s reporting proves wrong, it wouldn’t be the first time that Musk or someone in Trump’s orbit has butted heads with the outlet. The paper’s editorial board has recently criticized Trump’s Ukraine policy and his petty decision to strip security clearances from former officials.

Musk turning the full force of his rage on the Journal only adds to the chaos.

Still, the bigger picture remains: Musk is a liability to Tesla. The White House figured this out and has pushed him aside. The question now is whether Tesla’s board has the nerve to do the same.

At this rate, it’s not just DOGE that’s collapsing on Musk’s watch—it’s Tesla, too.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Rupert Murdoch

Declining Polls On Fox News Enrage President

President Donald Trump has never liked when pollsters say he’s doing worse than he thinks he is. But now he’s escalating his war on polls and the press, suggesting that even right-wing media outlets should scrap their polling arms if the results don’t flatter him.

According to a Fox News poll released Wednesday, Trump’s approval rating is officially lower than it was during his first term, just as he approaches the 100-day mark of his second term.

The survey found his rating underwater at 44% approval and 55% disapproval—down five points from the previous month. Even worse, Trump’s 100-day rating lags behind Joe Biden’s (54%), Barack Obama’s (62%), and George W. Bush’s (63%) at the same point in their presidencies.

Even Republicans aren’t exactly brimming with optimism. Just 38% of voters overall—and 75% of Republicans—say they’re “encouraged” about the next four years. That’s a drop from his first term in 2017, which showed 45% and 84%, respectively.

The same poll gave Trump poor marks across the board—on the economy, foreign policy, guns, immigration, you name it. His economic approval in particular sank to a record low at 38%, with 55% of respondents saying conditions are getting worse for their families.

So how did Trump respond to this news? By calling for Fox News to kill its polling unit.

“Rupert Murdoch has told me for years that he is going to get rid of his FoxNews, Trump Hating, Fake Pollster, but he has never done so. This ‘pollster’ has gotten me, and MAGA, wrong for years. Also, and while he’s at it, he should start making changes at the China Loving Wall Street Journal. It sucks!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday.

Of course, this isn’t some isolated poll. An April Ipsos survey for Reuters put Trump’s approval at just 42%, with only 37% backing his handling of the economy. A new Pew Research Center poll had him even lower, at 40%, with negative ratings across every major policy area. And a YouGov poll for The Economist wasn’t any better, with Trump clocking in at 41% approval, with every issue underwater there, too.

In other words: reality bites. But rather than face it, Trump’s trying to pressure outlets like Fox News and The Wall Street Journal into becoming full-time propaganda machines.

His push to kill off Fox’s polling arm is especially alarming given that it routinely produces some of the highest-quality polling in the business. If Fox caves, it would be a scandal—but not entirely shocking. Media executives have buckled to Trump before, afraid of the blowback if they don’t stay in his good graces.

Trump’s already suing CBS News’ “60 Minutes” for $10 billion, and he’s gone after ABC News, which recently settled a defamation suit and agreed to pay $15 million to Trump’s future presidential library. The Washington Post has also drifted rightward under Trump, winning plaudits from the administration for its “balance.”

And while polling isn’t perfect, Trump has a habit of going after those who publish anything he doesn’t like.

In December, he sued The Des Moines Register and veteran pollster Ann Selzer for a pre-election poll showing Vice President Kamala Harris leading him in Iowa. Trump ended up winning the state by more than 13 points, and now he’s trying to make it a courtroom issue.

Trump’s latest tantrum makes his vision clear: Any outlet that doesn’t treat him like a demigod should be silenced, sued, or shut down. What he’s building isn’t just a cult of personality; it’s a MAGA-approved echo chamber where the “truth” is whatever he says it is.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Bondi Responds Feebly To Anti-Semitic Attack On Shapiro Residence

Bondi Responds Feebly To Anti-Semitic Attack On Shapiro Residence

Attorney General Pam Bondi has been everywhere lately—screaming about deportations, threatening 20-year prison sentences for anyone who so much as exhales near a Tesla, and doing her part to kill college scholarship programs for students of color.

But what she hasn’t done is use her power to investigate actual threats, like the arson attack at the home of Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania.

After days of silence, Bondi finally addressed the attack on Wednesday, calling it “horrific” and saying she “firmly” believes the arsonist wanted to kill Shapiro. But she stopped short of calling it “domestic terrorism,” a label that Bondi and Republicans she’s aligned herself with have thrown at peaceful Tesla protesters without hesitation.

The message is clear: If President Donald Trump doesn’t see a political advantage, Bondi doesn’t see a crime.

On Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer publicly called on the Department of Justice to treat the attack with the seriousness it deserves, including investigating it as a possible hate crime.

Cody Balmer, who was arrested for allegedly starting the fire at Shapiro’s house, reportedly targeted the Jewish governor for his pro-Israel stance—an attack that occurred during Passover. Balmer is currently being held in jail without bail.

“In conjunction with the timing of the attack during Passover, Governor Shapiro’s visible embrace of his Jewish faith, and the context of rising antisemitism globally and across the country raise serious concerns about antisemitic motivation,” Schumer, who is the highest-ranking Jewish public official in U.S. history, wrote in a letter to Bondi.

“Our federal authorities must bring the full weight of our civil-rights laws to bear in examining this matter. No person or public official should be targeted because of their faith, and no community should wonder whether such acts will be met with silence,” he added.

The DOJ and the White House have not publicly commented on Schumer’s request, but Bondi isn’t the only one who’s been quiet.

Shapiro told NBC News that Trump has yet to call him or issue any meaningful condemnation. When asked about it earlier this week, Trump dismissed the suspect as “just a whack job,” while also noting, pointedly, that the man “was not a fan of Trump.”

Jewish Democratic Council of America CEO Halie Soifer criticized Trump’s silence, noting his previous attacks on Shapiro.

“Last year, Trump didn’t hesitate to call Josh Shapiro a ‘highly overrated Jewish governor.’ Now, nearly four days after Gov. Shapiro was targeted in an act of political violence—reportedly due to his position on Israel—Trump hasn’t clearly condemned it,” she said.

Meanwhile, some Republicans have fully victim-blamed Shapiro for the attack. Rep. Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania, a potential 2026 challenger to Shapiro, said during a radio interview that the governor’s rhetoric may have fueled the attacker’s rage.

“The left’s got to look in the mirror here. Our hearts go out to the Shapiro family on this, but you know, they gotta tone it down too. I mean, every action Josh Shapiro has taken so far against the president has either been a lawsuit or a falsehood,” Meuser said.

Though Vice President JD Vance—hardly known for his moral clarity—called the attack “really disgusting violence” on Sunday, that kind of vague half-condemnation isn’t nearly enough.

Shapiro’s home was destroyed. He and his family were targeted. Yet the response from the Trump administration—which has been so busy supposedly fighting antisemitism—has been mostly crickets.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Kathleen Sgamma

Trump Cabinet Nominee Withdraws Over (Sane) January 6 Comments

Kathleen Sgamma, President Donald Trump’s pick to head the Bureau of Land Management, sent shockwaves throughout Washington, D.C., on Thursday after withdrawing her name just hours before her confirmation hearing.

Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah announced Sgamma’s withdrawal at the start of the hearing, but Politico reported that her decision came after investigative outlet Documented published a 2021 memo where the oil and gas lobbyist condemned Trump’s role in spreading misinformation about the January 6, 2021, insurrection.

“I am disgusted by the violence I witnessed yesterday and President Trump’s role in spreading misinformation that incited it. I’m disgusted he discredited all the good work he did reorienting the judiciary back toward respect for the rule of law and constitution by dishonoring the vote of the People and the rulings of those very same judges on his numerous challenges,” the memo quotes Sgamma saying.

Sgamma likely withdrew her nomination not because she’s still upset with Trump, but because the leak of her past comments is embarrassing for both of them. After all, she knew about the Capitol attack when she was nominated and seemed totally on board with Trump’s energy agenda at the time.

While her comments about the insurrection were out of step with today’s GOP, they reflected the outrage that many Republicans shared in the immediate aftermath. And though Sgamma distanced herself from Trump at that time, she’s certainly no liberal—she even contributed to Project 2025.

Trump has continued defending the insurrectionists, calling them “patriots” and even pardoning them on Day 1 of his second term. He’s since doubled down on his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, insisting that anyone who refuses to spread his lies is the real problem. And it seems that Sgamma has now bought into Trump’s propaganda.

“Unfortunately, at this time, I need to withdraw my nomination. I will continue to support President Trump and fight for his agenda to Unleash American Energy in the private sector,” Sgamma said in her resignation statement.

While some Republican senators told Politico they weren’t given a heads-up about the withdrawal, some Trump allies, including former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, suggested that Sgamma’s withdrawal was inevitable.

“Individuals who know their views don’t align with the president… cause needless harm and conflict, hindering the president’s agenda,” he wrote on X.

Sgamma’s resignation marks the third Trump cabinet pick to either withdraw or have their nomination pulled.

Earlier, the White House backed off nominating Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York for United Nations ambassador, fearing losing a reliable GOP vote in their razor-thin House majority. Similarly, David Weldon’s nomination to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was pulled once it became clear he didn’t have the votes to get confirmed.

With the Bureau of Land Management overseeing energy production on federally owned lands—a key part of Trump’s second-term priorities—it remains to be seen whether his energy agenda will take another hit following Sgamma’s withdrawal.

While her decision may have been political, it also highlights the ongoing consequences of the insurrection, raising questions about whether there’s truly a divide between Trump and those who refuse to embrace his false election claims.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Rep. Elise Stefanik

As House GOP Margin Vanishes, Trump Pulls Stefanik Nomination

House Republican leadership is hanging on by a thread, struggling to maintain control as members either resign or accept positions in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet. With their already slim majority dwindling, passing Trump’s top priorities is becoming increasingly challenging.

Right now, the GOP holds a razor-thin five-seat majority in the House—218 Republicans to 213 Democrats—with four vacancies, making every vote crucial. The situation has become so precarious that Rep. Elise Stefanik, Republican of New York, has lost her nomination to Trump’s Cabinet.

CBS News reported Thursday that Stefanik’s nomination for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations was pulled following pressure from her party to decline the role. With margins this tight, Republicans are hesitant to lose another seat, leading party leaders to withdraw her nomination altogether.

Republican Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho shared the news with reporters on Wednesday.

But what he failed to mention is that Stefanik is the ultimate loser in this debacle. By having her stick around in Congress instead of taking the U.N. ambassadorship, she’s now been relegated to the sidelines—just another backbencher with no real influence. She gave up a potential leadership role and still hasn’t been assigned to any subcommittees.

For someone who spent years climbing the GOP ranks, this is a humiliating fall from grace. Instead of elevating her status on the world stage, Stefanik is now stuck in a Congress where she has no power, no platform, and—thanks to Republican infighting—no clear path forward.

Before the news broke, The Hill reported earlier this month that Stefanik’s confirmation could be postponed until at least April. House Speaker Mike Johnson was reportedly responsible for the delay—which his office has disputed—and believes that Stefanik is far more valuable in Congress than in Trump’s administration.

According to CBS News, Johnson was well aware of the internal conflict surrounding Stefanik’s nomination. Notably, unlike some of her former colleagues, she did not preemptively resign from Congress ahead of the Senate confirmation process.

In some cases, Republicans are even delaying special elections in strong Democratic districts, seemingly to avoid further weakening their majority.

For example, The Texas Tribune reported Wednesday that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has yet to call a special election to replace the late Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner, who passed away more than three weeks ago.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called attention to Abbott’s delay on Tuesday.

“Congressman Sylvester Turner sadly passed away on Wednesday, March 5. Why hasn’t the Texas Governor called a special election to fill this vacant seat?” Jeffries wrote on X.

With the current vacancies, Republicans can only afford to lose two votes while still maintaining their majority on the House floor. And considering their growing internal divisions, their power may be even more tenuous than it seems.

Republicans appear to be counting on two Florida special elections to bolster their numbers. The April 1 races will determine who replaces former GOP Reps. Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz—the latter of whom is currently serving as Trump’s national security adviser (and making a mess of it).

While both seats lean Republican, Democratic challengers are putting up a strong fight. In the contest to replace Waltz, Democrat Josh Weil has already raised an impressive $10 million compared to his opponent’s $1 million.

The fact that Republicans withdrew Stefanik’s nomination signals desperation and reflects a party in full-blown panic mode. It shows that they’re terrified they can’t advance Trump’s agenda in Congress without resorting to questionable tactics, and it suggests an even deeper fear: another Democratic upset.

On Tuesday, Democrats flipped a Pennsylvania state Senate seat in a deeply red district that had previously never elected a Democrat, and that Trump carried by 15 points in the 2024 election.

If Florida’s special elections come down to the wire, as some Republicans apprehend, the GOP might start worrying about Stefanik’s district next.

While the Florida seats are expected to stay red, Stefanik’s seat isn’t guaranteed for the GOP. Sure, she won reelection by 24 points in November, but Democrats have held the district before, with Bill Owens in the seat from 2009 to 2015. If next week’s special elections are close, Republicans will need to worry that her district could be the next to flip.

And Democrats sense the opportunity. Before news of Stefanik’s nomination withdrawal, they had planned to target her seat—just as they are in Florida. Seemingly scared of what might happen if increasingly dissatisfied voters have a say, Republicans clearly didn’t want to risk it.

The irony is almost too rich. Republicans, once so confident about their grip on power, are now scrambling to rig the game just to keep their fragile majority intact.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Trump Demands Removal Of Unflattering Portrait In Colorado Capitol

Trump Demands Removal Of Unflattering Portrait In Colorado Capitol

You’d think President Donald Trump would have enough on his plate, what with singlehandedly tanking the economy and threatening to deport his political enemies. Yet he somehow found time to complain that a portrait of himself in the Colorado Capitol is too ugly to be his.

“Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado, in the State Capitol, put up by the Governor, along with all other Presidents, was purposefully distorted to a level that even I, perhaps, have never seen before,” the president posted on Truth Social on Sunday evening.

“The artist also did President Obama, and he looks wonderful, but the one on me is truly the worst,” he added, before criticizing the artist and making the crude remark that “she must have lost her talent as she got older.” Trump also demanded that the state’s Democratic governor, Jared Polis, take the picture down.

“Gov. Polis was surprised to learn the President of the United States is an aficionado of our Colorado State Capitol and its artwork,” spokesperson Shelby Wieman said in a statement to Axios.

By Monday afternoon, the Associated Press reported that the portrait would be taken down.

The painting, created by Colorado-based artist Sarah Boardman, was unveiled on Aug. 1, 2019, according to The Denver Post. It shows Trump in a dark suit and red tie, and hangs in the Gallery of Presidents in the rotunda Colorado Capitol.

It’s no surprise that Trump, a well-documented misogynist, would insult the female artist behind the “distorted” portrait. Boardman has a long resume showcasing her talents, but she’s painted only two presidential portraits for the state—the ones of Obama and Trump. The other 43 presidents were painted by the late artist Lawrence Williams, who died before he could finish Obama’s portrait.

Boardman, who proudly includes the Trump portrait on her online resume, previously told The Denver Post that she aimed for both Obama and Trump’s portraits to feel apolitical.

“In today’s environment it’s all very upfront, but in another five, 10, 15 years he will be another president on the wall,” Boardman said. “And he needs to look neutral.”

Trump has a massively inflated sense of self, of course, so it’s unclear if “many people from Colorado,” as he claims, have actually called to complain about the portrait. Interestingly, it was the people of Colorado—and Republicans, in particular—who spearheaded the effort to commission and fund the painting in 2018.

According to The Denver Post, Kevin J. Grantham, then the president of the Colorado state Senate, raised nearly $11,000 in an online fundraiser for the portrait after no donations had been received to fund the commissioned work more than a year into Trump’s first term.

That said, it’s also unclear why Trump believes the governor was involved in the artistic direction of the painting or what triggered this outburst in the first place.

Following his tantrum, Trump posted two additional photos of himself on Truth Social, seemingly to share pictures he considered, uh, more flattering. However, he probably would’ve been better off not sharing—for the entire world to see—the portrait he supposedly despises.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Polls: Voters Angry At Democratic Leaders (But They Don't Love GOP Either)

Polls: Voters Angry At Democratic Leaders (But They Don't Love GOP Either)

Two new polls indicate that Democratic voters are continuing to lose faith in their party as leadership struggles to respond to President Donald Trump.

An SSRS poll for CNN released Sunday found that only 29 percent of adults view Democrats favorably, marking a new low in CNN’s polling since 1992 and a 20-point drop since January 2021. Even Democrats and left-leaning respondents were less enthusiastic about their party, with just 63 percent favorability—down from 72 percent in January.

This starkly contrasts with the survey’s Republican and right-leaning respondents, who reported 79 percent favorability of the Republican Party.

Meanwhile, a second survey released Sunday by NBC News revealed that 27 percent of registered voters hold a positive view of Democrats—the lowest rating recorded in the outlet’s polls since 1990. And merely seven percent of respondents indicated a “very” positive view of Democrats.

While NBC’s poll also found that the Republican Party has a net negative image—49 percent of voters view it unfavorably and 39 percent view it favorably)—it noted that the GOP could at least take comfort in controlling both chambers of Congress and the presidency. Democrats, however, have to cling to the hope that their party might reclaim maybe one chamber of Congress in 2026.

Both surveys suggest that the lack of support for the Democratic Party stems from its own voters feeling fed up. Not only have they witnessed their party’s loss to Trump in 2024, but now they face Democratic leaders attempting to compromise with the president—something Republicans would never consider if the roles were reversed.

As top Democrats continue to bend a knee to Trump, he and Elon Musk have taken a hatchet to the federal government, making massive cuts via the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.

The results of these surveys come as Democrats continue disagreeing on the best way to govern. Over the weekend, progressives—and even some lawmakers from the party’s more moderate wing—harshly criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for conceding to Trump on the GOP-backed government spending bill.

After the House passed a partisan spending bill, Schumer and nine other Senate Democrats voted for cloture on Friday, ending a filibuster of Republicans’ detrimental funding bill. The bill proposed significant cuts to the federal budget while increasing defense spending by approximately $6 billion.

Schumer has defended his decision, even amid calls for him to step down or be replaced. But it remains unclear who he is trying to please. Some of his party members are weary of him, and now the public is shifting their support away from him, too.

In the SSRS poll for CNN, 57 percent of Democrats and left-leaning respondents expressed a desire for the party to focus on obstructing Trump’s agenda, compared to 42 percent who favored working with the GOP.

And NBC reported a similar finding: 65 percent of self-identified Democratic voters want their party to “stick to their positions even if this means not getting things done in Washington.”

Only 32 percent indicated a desire for Democrats to compromise with Trump, which marks a complete reversal from where Democrats stood in 2017, when 59 percent wanted members of Congress to seek consensus on policy.

These numbers may get worse over time, as both polls were largely or wholly conducted before the standoff over the government funding bill. Still, the results underscore how much Democratic voters are itching for their party to play at least some form of defense.

“I’m scared that compromising will lead to the downfall of our democracy, to only be slightly hyperbolic. It’s really scary to see the things being done, the things being slashed left and right without any regard for the outcome,” a Democratic voter and survey respondent told NBC.

These findings also align with a series of polls released last week, which suggest that Democratic voters view their party as ineffective and lacking direction.

Nevertheless, some Democratic leaders appear content to acquiesce to Trump rather than push back. And in doing so, they are alienating voters.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos

Elon Musk

Fake Video Of Trump Sucking Musk's Toes Screened At HUD Headquarters

Staffers at the Department of Housing and Urban Development were welcomed to work on Monday with what appears to be an AI-generated video of President Donald Trump kissing and rubbing “first buddy” Elon Musk’s feet.

According to HuffPost and other outlets, the video played on a five-minute loop on “TVs across the building” while employees attempted to unplug the screens.

The clip—which is hard to watch—showed a photo-realist rendering of Trump sucking on Musk’s toes, with a text overlay that read, “LONG LIVE THE REAL KING”—a reference to both Musk’s growing influence in the Trump administration and the president describing himself as a “king” in a Truth Social post last week.

In a statement to HuffPost, HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett called the stunt “another waste of taxpayer dollars and resources” and said “appropriate action will be taken for all involved.”

While HUD quickly moved to scrap the videos from the agency’s buildings, copies of the clip were shared far and wide on social media.

“Someone apparently hacked the televisions at HUD today,” Jeff Stein, a reporter for The Washington Post, wrote on Bluesky.

Someone apparently hacked the televisions at HUD today -->

[image or embed]

— Jeff Stein (@jeffstein.bsky.social) February 24, 2025 at 2:38 PM

So far, no one has taken credit for the trick, but the incident comes after the Trump administration proposed cutting HUD’s workforce nearly in half—from some 8,300 employees to just over 4,000. According to an internal memo obtained by The Washington Post, many of the projected cuts will be at the Federal Housing Administration, one of the largest mortgage insurers in the world.

As The Post noted, the layoffs will likely further imperil the fragile U.S. housing and mortgage markets. FHA helps those “with lower credit scores, first-time home buyers, or those who can afford only small down payments” to buy their first home, per the outlet.

These FHA staffers won’t be the only ones left without a job, though. Employees working on issues related to disaster recovery, rental subsidies, and housing discrimination investigations will also get cut, according to the Associated Press.

The AI video is an interesting wrinkle in the cost-cutting agenda of the Department of Government Efficiency, the Musk-run agency that is not an official government department but has been spearheading these layoffs. Amid a sharp drop in federal employees’ morale, Musk emailed all federal workers over the weekend asking them to email him five things they worked on this past week or risk getting fired.

In recent weeks, though, there’s been increased criticism regarding Musk’s close relationship with the president. During a joint interview on Fox News, Musk dominated Trump, constantly interrupting or talking over the president. Before that, Musk addressed reporters in the Oval Office as the president signed an executive order compelling federal agencies to collaborate with DOGE.

Of course, neither Musk nor Trump has acknowledged the alleged hack at HUD, but the image to the rest of the world is a striking one: It suggests Trump is merely a figurehead while an unelected mega-billionaire wields the reins.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Four Top Adams Deputies Resign Amid Erupting Mayoral Scandal

Four Top Adams Deputies Resign Amid Erupting Mayoral Scandal

Four top deputies for embattled New York City Mayor Eric Adams have resigned, according to a statement the mayor issued on Monday.

“I am disappointed to see them go, but given the current challenges, I understand their decision and wish them nothing but success in the future,” Adams said in a statement shared with CNN.

According to the outlet, the officials leaving the mayor’s office are Meera Joshi, deputy mayor for operations; Chauncey Parker, deputy mayor for public safety; Maria Torres-Springer, who served as first deputy mayor; and Anne Williams-Isom, the deputy mayor for health and human services.

“Due to the extraordinary events of the last few weeks and to stay faithful to the oaths we swore to New Yorkers and our families, we have come to the difficult decision to step down from our roles,” read a joint statement from Joshi, Torres-Springer, and Williams-Isom, which was obtained by The New York Times.

They added, “While our time in this administration will come to a close, our support for the incredible public servants across the administration with whom we have stood shoulder to shoulder and our championing of this great city and all it stands for will never cease.”

The resignations come as President Donald Trump’s Justice Department has moved to dismiss corruption charges against Adams, apparently in exchange for his cooperation on Trump’s hard-line anti-immigration agenda.

Adams denied the allegations of a quid pro quo, as has Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan. But Adams is already working in tandem with Trump’s team: Following a closed-door meeting with Homan on Thursday, Adams agreed to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement to work at the Rikers Island jail complex.

According to the Times, the deputy mayors who left Adams’ office felt increasingly uneasy about working for a man who was putting his personal interests over those of the city he leads. Politico reported on Friday that most of the departing staff members met with Adams and told him he was an insufficient leader. Adams apparently begged the deputies to stick around, at least through March, but they refused.

These aren’t the only officials who have opted to quit rather than be entangled with Adams’ mess. Late last week, six senior Justice Department officials, including the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, resigned in protest over orders to drop the corruption charges against Adams.

One of the resigning federal attorneys, Danielle Sassoon, whom Trump had appointed as a U.S. attorney on an interim basis, wrote in a scathing letter to newly minted Attorney General Pam Bondi that the administration’s move to dismiss Adams’s case amounted to a quid pro quo to help Trump on immigration-related matters.

Adams, a Democrat (at least for now), has faced increased pressure to resign, though he said over the weekend that he has no plans to. Meanwhile, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, is facing calls to remove Adams from office.

The mayor was under federal indictment and charged with bribery and campaign finance violations, but earlier this month, the Justice Department moved to dismiss the case. The president’s leniency toward Adams came after the mayor started playing friendly with the right. Adams has not only ripped into Democrats’ immigration policies but also accused the Democratic Party of leaving him.

“People often say, ‘Well, you know, you don’t sound like a Democrat, and you know, you seemed to have left the party,’” Adams said in an interview with former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson. “No, the party left me, and it left working-class people.”

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Steve Bannon

Pleading Guilty To Felony Fraud, Bannon Escapes Prison, Vows Revenge

Steve Bannon, a longtime adviser to President Donald Trump and ally of white nationalists, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a fraud charge related to duping donors who gave to his “We Build the Wall” fundraising effort.

In exchange for the guilty plea in New York state criminal court, Bannon agreed to a three-year conditional discharge and waived his right to appeal. This means he will not receive any prison time, assuming he does not re-offend.

But he didn’t get off completely scot-free: Bannon will not be allowed to serve as an officer or director of a charity or any charitable organization in New York, or any fundraising or nonprofit organization in New York. He will also not be allowed to receive or hold assets for any charitable organizations, NBC News reports.

If he violates any terms of the deal, he could face between 1 ⅓ to 4 years behind bars, according to his plea deal.

“This resolution achieves our primary goal: to protect New York’s charities and New Yorkers’ charitable giving from fraud,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement to USA Today and other outlets, including NBC News.

Bannon was accused of defrauding New Yorkers who donated to “We Build the Wall,” an online fundraiser aimed at fulfilling a pet project of Trump’s during his first term in office. But the indictment alleged that Bannon and others had swindled donors who contributed more than $15 million for the 2019 alleged fundraising project.

While Bannon had said that all of the donations would go toward the construction of a southern border wall, authorities said Bannon redirected the funds elsewhere. In fact, Bannon had secretly funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to the group’s president, Brian Kolfage, through third-party entities, prosecutors said.

According to ABC News, Kolfage was paid $100,000 upfront and received monthly payments of about $20,000.

Kolfage and another man involved with the project, Andrew Badolato, previously pleaded guilty to federal charges in 2022 and were sentenced to prison.

The “War Room” podcast host was first indicted in 2022 on six charges of money laundering, conspiracy, and fraud. The indictment from Bragg’s office alleged that Bannon orchestrated a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud those who donated to his “We Build the Wall” crowdfunding campaign. The trial was set to begin next month.

Bannon had faced five felony counts, including money laundering and conspiracy charges, and faced a maximum sentence of five to 15 years in prison on the most serious charge.

The Trump ally wasn’t exactly repentant for his actions. In fact, after the hearing, he said he planned to call on Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute New York Attorney General Letitia James and to investigate Bragg, both of whom have successfully challenged Trump in court.

James, Bannon said, is an “existential threat to the Trump administration.”

This is not Bannon’s first time running afoul of the law. He spent four months in jail in 2024 after he was found guilty of contempt of Congress for refusing to testify before a House select committee investigating the events of January 6, 2021.

So far, Bannon, who served as Trump’s chief strategist for just seven months during his first term, hasn’t been brought into the second administration. He currently spends a lot of time raging about Elon Musk.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos

Elon Musk

New Polls: America Rejects Musk And His 'DOGE' Exploits

Much of the American public is souring on billionaire Elon Musk and the heavy influence he appears to wield over the federal government.

Fifty-two percent of registered voters have an unfavorable view of Musk, while just 39 percent view him favorably, according to new data from the polling firm Civiqs. That includes a stark gender divide: A little under half of male voters (45 percent) have a favorable view of Musk compared with 57 percent of female voters who view him unfavorably.

More than three-quarters (79 percent) of Republicans held the X owner in high regard, while 95 percent of Democrats aren’t fans. Independents lean toward Democrats’ opinion too, with 52 percent having an unfavorable view of Musk and only 36 percent having a favorable view.

However, there was a time when Musk wasn’t nearly as much in the public eye and Americans had a relatively positive view of him. But turning X into a far-right echo chamber and cozying up to President Donald Trump seems to have sullied his image. In the span of a few months, Musk dunked on a recent artificial intelligence venture Trump announced and helped defeat a government spending bill in Congress. You’d think this would be enough to keep him busy, but Musk also managed to piss off some of Trump’s biggest allies, including former adviser Steve Bannon, who seems to really despise him.

“He is a truly evil guy, a very bad guy,” Bannon said of Musk in January. “I made it my personal thing to take this guy down.”

A January survey from The Associated Press/NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows how much Musk’s recent moves have harmed his public perception. According to the poll, more than half of Americans (52 percent) had an unfavorable opinion of Musk, compared with 36 percent who viewed him favorably, putting him 16 points underwater. Compare that to a December survey from the same pollster that showed Musk’s favorability only 10 points underwater.

Other recent polls back this up:

  • A Wall Street Journal poll had Musk’s favorability 11 points underwater (40 percent favorable, 51 percent unfavorable).
  • A Marist College poll for NPR and PBS News found Musk 9 points underwater (37 percent favorable, 46 percent unfavorable) among registered voters.
  • Then there’s a Quinnipiac University poll from December that had Musk 5 points underwater (39 percent favorable, 44 percent unfavorable). Compare that with a Quinnipiac survey conducted two years prior, in December 2022, which showed Musk being slightly above water (36 percent favorable, 33 percent unfavorable).

Perhaps Americans dislike Musk because he’s linked to Trump, who is hellbent on pushing through unpopular things like tariffs on products from Canada and Mexico.

Then again, they also might not like Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, an advisory commission with no direct power over the federal government. It makes sense that Americans are on edge about Musk’s well-publicized promises to slash federal spending. After all, a Data for Progress poll for the Progressive Change Institute shows most likely voters are very concerned about DOGE’s threat to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, veteran’s health care programs, and food assistance for low-income families.

On top of that, Musk seems to wield a lot of governmental power for someone who was never elected to public office. And several polls show that people don’t like how much influence he seems to have over Trump and Republicans.

The December survey from Quinnipiac also showed that 53 percent of voters disapprove of Musk’s major role in the Trump administration. But there’s a partisan split. While 90 percent of Democrats are opposed to his role in the administration, 81 percent of Republicans approve of it. (Independents are largely against Musk’s role as well, with 57 percent disapproving.)

Other polls have found similar results. For instance, The Wall Street Journal’s poll found that half of voters think it’s a bad idea for Musk to advise Trump on spending bills and other matters, while just 39 percent say it’s a good idea for him to do so.

What’s more, Data for Progress found that 51 percent of likely voters believe Musk will use DOGE to his own benefit instead of making the government more efficient. While Democrats (74 percent) were more likely than independent or third-party voters (49 percent) to think this, Republicans expressed concerns too. An eyebrow-raising 29 percent of Republicans agree that Musk will use DOGE to “redirect more government resources towards himself and weaponize the federal government to undermine his business rivals.”

These combined data points suggest that the political middle is over Musk. And even some who don’t yet despise him are wary of what he’ll do as Trump’s “first buddy.”

And for Trump, Musk might become a big liability if the base turns on him even more than they already have.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

After 400 Years, Trump Says He Wants To Rename Gulf Of Mexico

After 400 Years, Trump Says He Wants To Rename Gulf Of Mexico

President-elect Donald Trump announced plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico to “the Gulf of America” as part of his freewheeling, often wild speech at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday.

“We’re going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America,” Trump said. “What a beautiful name. And it’s appropriate. It’s appropriate. And Mexico has to stop allowing millions of people to pour into our country.”

Trump’s proposal has already picked-up steam among his most faithful allies in Washington, D.C. At some point during Trump’s hourlong speech, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced that she’ll introduce a bill to officially rename the Gulf of Mexico.

“President Trump’s second term is off to a GREAT start,” she posted to X.

Trump’s most recent comments about Mexico highlight his continued focus on the country as he prepares to begin his second term in the White House. By proposing a name change, in addition to harping on his vanity projects to acquire Canada, Greenland, and the Panama Canal, the president-elect seems to be reasserting his plans for U.S. sovereignty across the globe.

He wouldn’t be the first to toy with renaming the Gulf of Mexico, however. According to ABC News, former Mississippi state Rep. Steve Holland, a Democrat, proposed a bill in 2012 that would’ve renamed the gulf “the Gulf of America.”

Holland later admitted, however, that he was just kidding and introduced the legislation as a joke to mock his Republican colleagues for being anti-immigrant.

Trump, who is known for his racist and xenophobic remarks toward Mexicans, didn’t seem to be joking. This is despite the fact that the name “the Gulf of Mexico” actually predated the United States. As the St. Augustine Record noted, the name appears on maps as far back as the 16th century.

Trump’s comments made waves, in part, because he’s currently in an ongoing—and very public—rift with Mexico’s leadership including its president, Claudia Sheinbaum. Despite the two sharing a “wonderful” phone call in late November, they previously butted heads after Trump falsely claimed that Sheinbaum promised to close her country’s northern border with the United States. (Sheinbaum has not publicly responded to Trump’s latest remarks.)

Indeed, any goodwill between Trump and Sheinbaum might be lost after Tuesday’s speech. In the same tirade, he denounced Mexico as a “very dangerous place.”

“We have a massive deficit with Mexico,” Trump said. “We help Mexico a lot. They’re essentially run by the cartels, can’t let that happen. Mexico’s really in trouble, a lot of trouble. Very dangerous place.”

Trump has complained about the nation’s trade deficit with both Mexico and China. During his most recent campaign run, he raised concerns about the issue and has since promised to levy tariffs across the board, including a 25 percent tariff on imports from Mexico.

Trump has a long history of making false, and oftentimes broad, pronouncements about Mexico’s management of its side of the border. But his comments disparaging Mexico on Tuesday were particularly notable, in part, because the Mar-a-Lago news conference was intended to share what was billed as good news.

Before going off-script, Trump announced a $20 billion investment in data centers in the U.S. by Emirati billionaire Hussain Sajwani.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Laura Loomer

Loomer Trashes Musk Again -- And She's Right

Far-right activist and conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer just said what we’ve all been thinking: Elon Musk wields far too much power in the MAGA world—and it’s getting tiresome.

Appearing on Steve Bannon’s right-wing podcast “War Room,” Loomer, a racist piece of work in her own right, torched the billionaire CEO as a “welfare queen” and technocrat who has outsized influence in the U.S. political sphere due to his burgeoning relationship with President-elect Donald Trump.

Loomer also called Musk a “stage 5 clinger,” an apparent reference to how Musk continues to relentlessly “slither” around Mar-a-Lago.

“I don’t think it’s acceptable for billionaires to have this much power and this much access,” she said. “What is it going to mean for the future of our country, our national security, and the incoming Trump administration if we have a bunch of technocrats, who are also essentially welfare queens because their companies are receiving government subsidies, and they want to take over our defense industry?”

Loomer’s comments are the latest escalation in the civil war between Trump’s billionaire tech bros, Musk and fellow DOGE dork Vivek Ramaswamy, and the MAGA faithful, such as Bannon and Loomer. The rift began when Musk pushed back on attacks on H-1B visas, which are often awarded to highly skilled immigrant workers.

Bannon, for his part, has blasted the visas as a “scam” that he falsely claims “[take] American jobs and [bring] over what essentially become indentured servants at lower wages.”

He’s also referred to Musk as “sociopathic” and said that American workers are owed “reparations” for the jobs that have allegedly been stolen by immigrants.

The infighting between the two groups has gotten rather nasty, as Loomer has used her five seconds of fame to launch attacks on Indian immigrants, who she called “third world invaders.” In the same sentence, she managed to lavish praise on the “white Europeans” who she claims built the nation.

While Trump has publicly sided with Musk in the debate, telling the New York Post that he supports the H-1B visa program, that hasn’t stopped certain MAGA allies from ripping into it—and anyone who supports it.

During a Monday appearance on former Fox News host Eric Bolling’s Newsmax show, Loomer suggested that some Republicans don’t want to cross Musk because he’s rich. Musk spent more than a quarter-billion dollars to help Trump win his second term as president.

“This is the problem when you allow for a billionaire to make a $200 million donation and so maybe we really do need to have campaign finance regulations in this country,” she said.

Of Trump, Loomer said that she “love[s]” him, but worried his recent backing of Musk was due to the billionaire’s aid in his re-election efforts.

“It sounds like people are scared of crossing the king, the king of the world, Elon Musk, the monarch,” she said.

It’s annoying that valid criticism of Musk is coming from a far-right character known for her virulent racism and support of conspiracy theories, but thankfully she’s not the only person to hit Musk in recent days.

During his New Year’s address, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz not-so-subtly admonished the billionaire after he tried to tip the scales in Germany’s snap election, which will take place on February 23. His comments came shortly after Musk reiterated his support for Germany’s right-wing, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, or AfD, party.

“You, the citizens, decide what happens in Germany,” Scholz said. “It’s not up to the owners of social media.”

Musk already has immense influence over U.S. politics, but it’s unclear whether he can take his political meddling to the international level. It’s also unclear who will win this MAGA war, but it seems safe to say that the interpersonal chaos that has rocked Trump’s party for years will continue into the new year.

Maybe we can continue this trend of dunking on Musk in 2025?

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

John Fetterman Victory Speech

What Is Behind John Fetterman's Rightward Pivot?

On Thursday, Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman became the first Senate Democrat to meet with Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s problematic pick to lead the Department of Defense. Oddly, Fetterman hasn’t ruled out supporting Hegseth, whose own mother once wrote him an angry email calling him an abuser of women. (She now says she doesn’t hold the same view of her son.)

“He could theoretically become the head of the Defense Department,” Fetterman told Politico in explaining his logic. “I've discovered in my time in D.C. that that’s important. And, ‘Are you having a conversation with someone?’ I don’t know why that’s shocking.”

Fetterman also said he’s aware of “some” allegations against Hegseth. Those include, but are not limited to, Hegseth allegedly raping a woman in 2017—Hegseth said the sex was consensual—and supposedly drinking on the job. But that hasn’t stopped the Pennsylvania senator from being open to joining Republicans in confirming the Fox News host.

Fetterman said he’s not sure why it’d be “controversial” to meet with Hegseth—and even suggested the two might find common ground on some issues. And on its own, meeting with the likely next defense secretary may not be a strange thing. But that’s not the only eyebrow-raising action Fetterman has taken recently.

On Wednesday, Fetterman apparently became the first Democratic senator to join Truth Social, Trump’s social media platform. And in his debut post, he made the surprising call to pardon Trump in his New York hush money case.

Fetterman also said he was a “hard YES” on confirming Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York as the next ambassador to the United Nations.

Stefanik isn’t the first Trump Cabinet pick that Fetterman has voiced his support for. In November, he said he would vote to confirm Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida as the next secretary of state.

Once a self-described progressive, Fetterman has pivoted to the right since winning his 2022 Senate election. But backing Trump’s Cabinet picks isn’t the first time the senator has found himself on the outs with the progressive movement. He’s one of many Democrats to make stringently pro-Israel statements during its ongoing war in Gaza. In that, he found allies in the Democratic Party, such as New York Rep. Ritchie Torres.

However, Fetterman is making the case that he hasn’t abandoned progressivism—but that the movement dumped him.

“I didn’t leave the label, it left me on that,” Fetterman said in a June interview with comedian Bill Maher.

But a review of his history with the label makes his change appear more cynical in nature. After all, the senator happily embraced the label for years and courted the endorsement of independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, when Fetterman successfully ran to be Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor. Now, though, Fetterman seems more keen to taunt progressivism than to embrace it.

It’s a convenient scapegoat for Fetterman to blame the left for his shift to the right. It keeps his name in the limelight while making him seem to be some sort of brave truth-teller who isn’t afraid to stand up to his own party.

However, he might find it hard to have it both ways, with both parties, especially during a time when center-left and establishment Democrats are coming under fire for frequently losing elections and major policy fights.

At least for now, Fetterman hasn’t made clear what his end goal is in fighting his own party’s interests. But in the short-term, he is apparently trying to fill the void of the non-Republican rabble-rouser now that independent Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema are leaving.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Former Aides Say Tulsi Gabbard Was Duped By Kremlin Propaganda

Former Aides Say Tulsi Gabbard Was Duped By Kremlin Propaganda

Tulsi Gabbard, the onetime Democrat who is Donald Trump’s pick to be the country’s next director of national intelligence, was a faithful consumer of Kremlin-controlled media, three of her former congressional aides told ABC News.

According to ABC’s report, the aides said that the failed presidential candidate regularly read and shared stories from RT—a state-run media outlet formerly known as Russia Today—even after being told that it wasn’t a credible news source. Gabbard’s former staffers suggested that they didn’t buy some claims from Democrats that their former boss is a “Russian asset.” But they do believe she’s become a staunch advocate for one of the United States’ chief adversaries thanks to her routine consumption of pro-Russia propaganda.

It’s unclear just how much consuming news from these outlets shaped Gabbard’s worldview. In fact, her former aides said that Gabbard read news from a plethora of outlets, ranging from stories peddled by far left factions to articles from extreme-right sources. But Gabbard’s views on Russian aggression in Europe, specifically, have become increasingly eyebrow-raising since her days as a Democratic House member representing Hawaii.

The aides provided ABC News with an internal memo that Gabbard sent to staff in 2017, for instance, which showed her extending unwarranted sympathy to the Kremlin. Among many other damning things, the former Bernie Sanders loyalist-turned-MAGA apologist complained about the United States’ “hostility toward Putin” and bemoaned the fact that “there isn’t any guarantee to Put that we won’t try to overthrow Russia’s government.”

“In fact, I’m pretty sure there are American politicians who would love to do that,” she added.

These fresh allegations against Gabbard have heightened some Democrats’ fears about her securing a spot in Trump’s Cabinet. Ivo Daalder, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO during the Obama administration, told ABC News that the thoughts outlined in Gabbard’s 2017 memo were “basically the Russian playbook.” He also expressed anxiety that she could soon be charged with overseeing America’s most sensitive intelligence assets.

Her sympathy toward the Kremlin only grew after 2017. During her unsuccessful presidential run in 2020, Gabbard criticized America’s involvement in Syria’s civil war as a “regime change war” on President Bashar Assad, a key Russian ally. And in 2022, Gabbard defended Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine and went so far as to blame the United States and NATO for provoking the war by ignoring Russia’s security concerns.

And she didn’t stop there. In October, Gabbard baselessly suggested that Vice President Kamala Harris was the main instigator of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

Gabbard’s pro-Russia takes have not gone unnoticed by the senators who will determine whether she earns a spot in the Trump administration. Even before ABC News’ bombshell report, some Republicans indicated that they were nervous about Gabbard’s worrisome positions on foreign policy issues, as well as her promotion of Russian propaganda.

“Behind closed doors, people think she might be compromised. Like it’s not hyperbole,” one Republican Senate aide told The Hill. “There are members of our conference who think she’s a [Russian] asset.”

These latest revelations certainly aren’t good news for Trump, who has already had two of his nominees drop out (see: Matt Gaetz and Chad Chronister, his picks to head up the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration).

The good news for Gabbard, at least for now, is that another one of Trump’s potential appointees, defense secretary nominee and Fox News host Pete Hegseth, is now in the hot seat for a series of scandalous revelations and accusations about his own past. That means Gabbard’s troublesome views and actions have flown mostly under the radar.

But who knows how long that will last.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.