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As Right-Wing Influencers Blast Iran War, White House Is Firing Back

As Right-Wing Influencers Blast Iran War, White House Is Firing Back

The White House was forced to fire back after a prominent conservative influencer and podcaster criticized President Donald Trump‘s various and rapidly-shifting reasons for attacking Iran in a massive and ongoing military exercise that the president and defense chief have called “war.”

Matt Walsh, who hosts his right-wing podcast on The Daily Wire and has four million followers on X, on Monday expressed his confusion with the administration’s talking points.

“So far we’ve heard that although we killed the whole Iranian regime, this was not a regime change war,” he began. “And although we obliterated their nuclear program, we had to do this because of their nuclear program. And although Iran was not planning any attacks on the US, they also might have been, depending on who you ask. And although we are not fighting this war to free the Iranian people, they are now free, or might be, depending on who seizes power, and we have no idea who that will be.”

“The messaging on this thing is,” he said, “to put it mildly, confused.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to Walsh just hours later, saying that Trump on Saturday had “released a statement laying out clear objectives to the American people for Operation Epic Fury.”

According to Leavitt, they include destroying Iran’s missiles and Navy, ensuring Iran’s proxies cannot destabilize the region or the world, stopping them from making and using IEDs, guaranteeing Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, and preventing the Iranian regime from threatening America.

“Simply put,” she wrote, “the terrorist Iranian regime would not say yes to peace.”

“For 47 years, the Iranian regime has actively and intentionally facilitated the killing of Americans while chanting ‘death to America’ and funding other bloodthirsty terrorists seeking to destroy the United States and all of Western Civilization. Prior American leaders were too weak and cowardly to do anything about it. Now, President Donald J. Trump is correcting decades of cowardice and holding those responsible for the deaths of Americans accountable.”

But Politico’s White House bureau chief Dasha Burns noted that Walsh “is among many right wing voices questioning the administration’s actions in Iran.”

“I have heard repeated warnings from Republican sources that the WH needs to do more to get MAGA on side,” she added.

Sean Davis, co-founder of the right-wing website The Federalist, reposted Walsh’s remarks and shared similar ones of his own.

“Is the goal to eliminate the Iranian regime or free the Iranian people or degrade their nuclear capability or degrade the conventional weapons capability or eliminate their regional hegemony or to cut off their oil supply to China or to help Israel or what?” Davis asked. “The lack of any coherent message seems to suggest the lack of any coherent objective.”

Former Trump ally and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who months ago broke with Trump, wrote: “And just like that we are no longer a nation divided by left and right, we are now a nation divided be those who want to fight wars for Israel and those who just want peace and to be able to afford their bills and health insurance.”

Reprinted with permission from Alternet


Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump Tariffs In Major Blow To White House

Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump Tariffs In Major Blow To White House

In a 6-3 ruling. the Supreme Court has rejected the legal basis for President Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs, imposed on “Liberation Day” in April 2025.

“The Supreme Court has struck down President Trump’s tariff authority, saying his claim of emergency authority to issue sweeping tariffs to America’s trading partners was unlawful,” Politico’s Kyle Cheney reports.

NBC News called it a “major blow” to President Trump.

During oral arguments, justices appeared skeptical of the Trump arguments. Chief Justice John Roberts said that the tariffs were “an imposition of taxes on Americans and that has always been the core power of Congress,” as Axios reported.

President Trump has repeatedly argued that his reciprocal tariffs — which studies show are almost entirely paid by American consumers and businesses — were necessary for national security. The administration relied on an obscure provision of U.S. trade law that allows a president to impose tariffs without congressional approval if imports are deemed a threat to national security. Critics, however, argued that the statute was never intended to justify sweeping, permanent global tariffs.

Trump’s public statements repeatedly broadened his rationale. At the beginning of the year, declaring the Supreme Court’s impending decision would be “their most important (ever!) Decision,” he claimed the tariffs “have rescued our Economy and National Security.”

Last month, Trump warned that “if the Supreme Court rules against the United States of America on this National Security bonanza, WE’RE SCREWED!”

As recently as Thursday, Trump lambasted the high court for taking, as he put it, “forever,” to release its decision.

“And to think I have to be, in the United States Supreme Court for many, many months, waiting for a decision on tariffs — without tariffs, this country would be in such trouble right now,” Trump said.

“I’ve been waiting forever. Forever. And the language is clear that I have the right to do it as president. I have the right to put tariffs on for national security purposes, countries that have been ripping us off.”

Just weeks ago, Trump told Fox Business that he had had an “emergency call from, I believe, the prime minister of Switzerland, and she was very aggressive. Nice, but very aggressive.”

“Again and again and again. I couldn’t get her off the phone,” the president continued, as The Hill reported. “So [the tariffs were] at 30 percent, and I didn’t really like the way she talked to us, and so instead of giving her a reduction, I raised it to 39 percent.”

The president has also suggested that there is so much money coming into the Treasury from tariffs that he would be sending tariff “dividend” checks to Americans — a claim he appeared to have forgotten about last month when asked by a reporter.

Trump has also claimed that if the Court struck down his tariffs, the U.S. would not be in a position to provide refunds, which could run between $100 billion and $200 billion. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, however, stated that providing refunds would be possible.

It has been estimated that tariffs are costing the average American family between $1,300 and nearly $5,000 annually.

Economist Justin Wolfers, when asked about the effectiveness of Trump’s tariffs, told CBC News, “If the trade deficit this year is bigger than it was last year, and this year we have high tariffs and a trade war and last year we didn’t, I guess it doesn’t require a lot of fancy statistics to infer that Trump’s tariffs didn’t help the trade deficit.”

On Friday, he wrote, “We had this big lousy trade war, and we’ve got nothing to show for it.”

The Wall Street Journal editorial board on Thursday wrote, “If your tariff policy is so unpopular that you have to bully the central bank into not talking about it, maybe it’s time for a new policy.”

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

'Keeps Getting Crazier': Joe Rogan Says Epstein Scandal 'Looks Terrible' For Trump

Prominent podcaster Joe Rogan warned that the handling of the Epstein files “looks terrible” for President Donald Trump and his administration.

“During Tuesday and Thursday’s episodes, Rogan criticized redactions the Department of Justice made from the files,” The Hill reported.“Who knows what f — — happens with all this Epstein files s — —,” he said, according to video of his streaming show. “It just keeps getting crazier and crazier and crazier and deeper and deeper.”

“Why would your name be redacted if you’re not a victim?” Rogan also asked. “Like, this is what’s crazy about all this. Like, how come you redact some people and you don’t redact other people?”

"Like, what is this?" the podcaster continued. "This is not good. None of this is good for this administration. It looks f — — terrible. It looks terrible. It looks terrible for Trump when he was saying that none of this was real. This is all a hoax. This is not a hoax. Like, did you not know?""Maybe he didn't know if you want to be charitable? But this is definitely not a hoax. And if you've got redacted people's names, and these people aren't victims, you're not protecting the victim. So what are you doing?"

"And how come all this s — — is not released?" Rogan asked.

Trump Reveals Fear Of Midterm Defeat: 'We Shouldn't Even Have An Election'

Trump Reveals Fear Of Midterm Defeat: 'We Shouldn't Even Have An Election'

President Donald Trump, rejecting criticism from within his own party, the economic challenges facing the American people, and polling on Greenland, suggested that his second-term accomplishments were so extensive that they should render the 2026 midterm elections unnecessary.

In an interview with Reuters, President Trump “expressed frustration” that Republicans may lose control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate in the November midterm elections.

Calling it “some deep psychological thing,” Trump told Reuters that “when you win the presidency, you don’t win the midterms.”

He then “boasted” of his accomplishments, telling the reporter, “when you think of it, we shouldn’t even have an election.”

Trump, Reuters reported, “repeatedly dismissed concerns by the public, business leaders and even his fellow Republicans on issues ranging from the future of Greenland and the criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, to the state of the economy.”

He deemed “fake” a Reuters/Ipsos poll that found little support — just 17 percent — for him seizing control of Greenland.

He repeatedly declared, “I don’t care” when confronted with news that some Senate Republicans oppose the Department of Justice’s investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, and “when reminded of JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon’s concerns that White House interference in the Fed could harm the economy.”

Trump also dismissed the concerns of the American people over high prices they are facing, instead incorrectly declaring the economy the strongest “in history.” He told Reuters that he simply needed to do a better job promoting his achievements.

He appeared to suggest that “he follows his own compass” rather than put much stock in public opinion.

“A lot of times, you can’t convince a voter,” he said. “You have to just do what’s right. And then a lot of the things I did were not really politically popular. They turned out to be when it worked out so well.”

On actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Reuters reported that Trump “said he would continue sending armed agents into cities, claiming that his efforts had taken ‘thousands of murderers out of our country.”

Reuters noted that there is “no evidence to support that assertion.”

Maxwell Trial Petition Seen 'Throwing A Wrench' In Release Of 'Epstein Files'

Maxwell Trial Petition Seen 'Throwing A Wrench' In Release Of 'Epstein Files'

Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted child sex offender and associate of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, has filed court documents seeking to be released from prison, reportedly “throwing a wrench” into the Justice Department’s efforts to release “scores” of files released to her case.

“Lawyers for Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime Epstein counterpart, wrote in a letter filed Wednesday in federal court that she plans to soon file a court petition challenging her detention, a long-shot bid that, if successful, could result in a new trial,” The Hill reported.

Maxwell’s attorneys “said Maxwell does not take a position on the government’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts,” but, “to do so could imperil a retrial if her challenge, called a habeas petition, prevails.”

The New York Times added, “Although the judge, Paul A. Engelmayer, previously denied a request by the Justice Department to release those documents, Ms. Bondi made her latest motion under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was signed by Mr. Trump last month.”

According to CNN, “lawyers for Epstein’s estate told the judge they do not take a position as to the unsealing of records given the government’s ‘commitment’ to redacting victim and personally identifying information.”

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

'Whatever Will Trump Do?' House Vote On Epstein Files Release Draws Closer

'Whatever Will Trump Do?' House Vote On Epstein Files Release Draws Closer

The long-awaited release of the Epstein files appears to be one step closer, after Speaker of the House Mike Johnson announced on Monday that Adelita Grijalva, the Representative-elect from Arizona, will be sworn into office before the upcoming vote on legislation to reopen the government.

Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman was first to report Johnson’s announcement, and suggested that the House could reconvene on Wednesday.

Grijalva’s swearing in is expected to secure the 218th signature on a discharge petition to release the long-awaited FBI files on the case of deceased sexual predator, financier and Trump "best friend" Jeffrey Epstein. Johnson has been accused of keeping the House in recess and not swearing her in to delay the release of the files.

Grijalva was elected nearly seven weeks ago. Last week on Tuesday, observing the six-week mark, she accused Speaker Johnson of “obstruction.”

in a letter to Speaker Johnson, Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), the chair of the House Congressional Hispanic Caucus wrote, “delaying her seating denies nearly one million Arizonans in AZ-07 meaningful representation, constituent services, and a voice in the House. This denial of representation is an abuse of procedural power, and it comes at a time when the government shutdown is amplifying pressures on families and communities.”

House Oversight Committee Democrats responded to the news that Johnson said he will swear her in, writing, “Speaker Johnson could’ve done this WEEKS ago. The White House coverup is clear. It’s time to release the files and expose whatever the Donald Trump and Pam Bondi don’t want to come out.”

“Whatever will Trump do?” asked MSNBC legal analyst Joyce Vance, a former U.S. Attorney. “Ending the shutdown means bringing back the House for a vote on the Epstein files.”

Stephen Richer, a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, noted: “This will be longest period of time in US History between the special election and the swearing-in of the new representative.”

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

When Will Trump Focus On Inflation? Aides Say Just Wait Till New​ Year

When Will Trump Focus On Inflation? Aides Say Just Wait Till New​ Year

President Donald Trump, who did not appear interested in changing his messaging when he spoke to Republican senators Wednesday morning after a big night at the polls for Democrats, is now expected to respond to the message voters sent Tuesday night, next year.

One of the White House’s “main takeaways from last night’s miserable performance for the Republican Party,” Politico reported, “is that President Donald Trump isn’t focused enough on the issues that matter most to the voters the party needs.”

The president, a White House advisor told Politico, will talk about the cost of living — one of the top issues he ran on last year — “as we turn … into the new year.”One of the White House’s “main takeaways from last night’s miserable performance for the Republican Party,” Politico reported, “is that President Donald Trump isn’t focused enough on the issues that matter most to the voters the party needs.”

“The President hasn’t talked about the cost of living in months,” another person close to the White House told Politico. “People are still hurting financially and they want to know the White House is paying attention and trying to fix the problem as quickly as possible.”

White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair, who served as Trump’s political director for the 2024 election, also weighed in.

“You’ll see the president talk a lot about cost of living as we turn … into the new year,” Blair told Politico. “The president is very keyed into what’s going on, and he recognizes, like anybody, that it takes time to do an economic turnaround, but all the fundamentals are there, and I think we’ll see him be very, very focused on prices and cost of life.”

“People don’t think he’s lived up to his promises,” a White House ally told Politico. “You won on lowering costs, putting more money back into people’s pockets. And people don’t feel that right now.”In a speech Wednesday afternoon at the America Business Forum in Miami, Trump told attendees, “After last night’s results the decision facing all Americans could not be more clear. We have a choice between communism and common sense. Does that make sense to you? Common sense. It’s common sense or communism. Look back 1,000 years. It hasn’t worked.”

In a speech Wednesday afternoon at the America Business Forum in Miami, Trump told attendees, “After last night’s results the decision facing all Americans could not be more clear. We have a choice between communism and common sense. Does that make sense to you? Common sense. It’s common sense or communism. Look back 1,000 years. It hasn’t worked.”

“Our opponents are offering an economic nightmare, we are delivering an economic miracle,” Trump declared. “The biggest investment of funds in a country in history by many times.”

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

Ignoring Red State Data, Trump Claims SNAP Beneficiaries Are 'Largely Democrats'

Ignoring Red State Data, Trump Claims SNAP Beneficiaries Are 'Largely Democrats'

Amid the administration’s refusal to tap contingency funds to sustain the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — and with two federal judges now ordering it to do so — President Donald Trump came under fire Friday for claiming that most SNAP recipients are Democrats.

Forty-two million Americans may lose their benefits starting on Saturday if the Trump administration does not act.

While there are no exact statistics on party affiliation, large numbers of SNAP users reside in deep red states.

According to WIRED, data collected by the USDA “shows that deep-red states like Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana are among those with the highest percentage of food stamp recipients.”

And according to Philip Bump, the former Washington Post columnist, “more members of vulnerable populations who receive SNAP benefits … live in districts that also voted for Trump.”

President Trump, however, offered a different perspective while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to Mar-a-Lago.

“And, you know, largely, when you talk about SNAP, you’re talking about largely Democrats, but I’m president. I wanna help everybody,” he said. “I want to help Democrats and Republicans, but when you’re talking about SNAP, if you look, it’s largely Democrats, they’re hurting their own people.”

Critics pushed back against the President’s claim.

“Florida has nearly 3 million SNAP recipients. Texas has 3.5 million. All those deep red Southern states have huge SNAP populations,” noted Punchbowl News co-founder John Bresnahan.

“This is not true at all. The loss of SNAP funding will hit red America hard, too,” observed MSNBC deputy managing editor of news Zack Stanton. “Even if it was true, it’s weird to be ok with Americans going hungry because they live in blue states.”

“He’s trying to say—of course—that SNAP is for poor non white people, mostly living in the cities he wants to militarily occupy. But, as it happens, SNAP is also for lots of poor white people living in the rural/small town areas Trump claims to care about,” wrote Dissent magazine’s Richard Yeselson.

“And there it is. Trump openly reveals why he and other Republicans are cutting SNAP. The irony is that a lot of poor people in America who are on SNAP are rural Trump voters,” noted Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA).

“Trump is refusing to fund SNAP during the shutdown (something every other administration has done) because he wrongly believes that all families who rely on it are Democrats, and Democrats deserve to starve,” wrote The Lincoln Project.

“SNAP helps feed children, including one in four kids in America. Are children Democrats or Republicans? I don’t know BECAUSE THEY ARE CHILDREN. SNAP also helps veterans, seniors and people with disabilities,” commented Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA).

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

Top Senate Republican Blows Up Over Democratic Bill To Fund SNAP, Then Blocks It

Top Senate Republican Blows Up Over Democratic Bill To Fund SNAP, Then Blocks It

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) launched into a diatribe attacking Democrats when one — Sen. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico — asked unanimous consent to pass legislation to pay the 42 million Americans who use SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Later, Thune apologized — to reporters, not Sen. Luján, for his remarks.

Despite having about $5 to $6 billion in emergency funds for SNAP, the Trump administration decided to reverse its previous policy to pay recipients during a shutdown. That policy, which was removed from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website, had stated the “Congressional intent” was to make the funds available.

Experts have said there is a legal requirement to fund SNAP via its contingency reserves during the shutdown.

“Senate Republicans blocked legislation on Wednesday that would help low-income households afford groceries during the government shutdown, despite bipartisan support for providing nutrition aid to tens of millions of Americans,” Bloomberg News reported.

Punchbowl News’ Andrew Desiderio described Thune’s remarks as a “blowup,” and said he went “nuclear.”

“The senator from New Mexico was absolutely right,” Thune said on the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon. “SNAP recipients shouldn’t go without food.”

Republicans’ position is that Democrats are to blame for the shutdown, now in its 29th day. But polling shows that more Americans blame Republicans and President Trump for the shutdown than Democrats, whom they believe are trying to reopen the government more than Republicans.“People should be getting paid in this country. And we’ve tried to do that 13 times. And you voted no, 13 times,” he said, pointing to Democrats who have refused to vote to reopen the federal government until Republicans agree to reinstate the Affordable Care Act subsidies that expire at the end of the year. Obamacare premiums are expected to skyrocket without the subsidies.

“This isn’t a political game,” Thune said, angrily. “These are real people’s lives that we’re talking about. And you all just figured that out?”

“Twenty-nine days and, ‘Oh, there might be some consequences.’ There are people who are running out of money. Yeah, we’re 29 days in.”

“Thirteen times, people over here voted to fund SNAP, thirteen times, they voted to fund WIC,” he said of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.

“My aching back,” Thune said, expressing frustration.

The Majority Leader then went on to charge that Democrats want the shutdown to continue, long term.“So are they making plans to end the shutdown and reopen the government?” he asked. “Nope. They’re gonna propose a bill to fund food stamps during their shutdown.”

“This bill is a cynical attempt to provide political cover for Democrats to allow them to carry on their government shutdown for the long term.”

After his remarks, and after leaving the floor, Politico reported that Thune told reporters, “Sorry I channeled a little bit of anger there.”

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

New Poll: Public Anger At Republicans Deepens As Shutdown Drags On

New Poll: Public Anger At Republicans Deepens As Shutdown Drags On

Most Americans know the federal government is shut down — and they’re not shrugging it off. Most expect it to hurt them personally, fear it will damage the country even more, and increasingly blame Republicans and President Donald Trump — whose low approval rating has taken a strong hit — for the crisis.

That’s according to an extensive Navigator poll released on Wednesday.

Overall, Americans blame Trump and the GOP for the shutdown by a 14-point margin — up four points from last week. And Trump and Republicans in Congress are increasingly seen in a negative light over what they’re fighting for in the shutdown.

At the same time, President Trump is now seeing his lowest approval rating since 2018, according to Navigator. Other polls have produced similar results.

Three out of four Americans have heard some news of the shutdown. And about two-thirds (66 percent) have heard a lot or some about it.

It’s having a massive impact.

“64 percent believe the shutdown will have a negative impact on them personally, up from half who thought the same last week. Even more (77 percent) believe it will have a negative impact on the country,” Navigator reported.

Nearly half of Americans, 47 percent, blame President Trump and Republicans for the shutdown, an increase of four points over last week.

“Since last week, independents increasingly blame Trump and Republicans more than Democrats for the government shutdown,” according to Navigator. “When forced to choose between Trump and Republicans or Democrats, a majority say Trump and Republicans have the power to end it (52 percent – 21 percent).”

Americans also see Trump and the GOP as trying to keep the government shut down, and give Democrats “more credit” for trying to keep the government open.

A plurality, 42 percent, know Democrats are fighting for health care and see that as a positive.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans (64 percent) want Trump and the GOP to compromise with Democrats, and by a strong margin (39 points).

Overall, according to Navigator’s graphics, when asked about nine issues, Americans’ top concern (76 percent) currently is the shutdown and it having no clear end in sight.

That’s closely followed by the rising cost of health care and Americans losing coverage without congressional action (74 percent).

Food stamp funding (SNAP) running out on November 1, leaving about 42 million people without federal nutritional assistance, comes in a close third (73 percent).

All this appears to be having an impact on President Trump’s popularity.

“As the shutdown continues, President Trump’s overall approval rating (-16) and economic job approval (-21) remain underwater, the lowest point both of these metrics have been since the beginning of our shutdown tracking.”

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

Massive Conflict: Trump Enraged By Questions Over Pardon Of Binance Mogul

Massive Conflict: Trump Enraged By Questions Over Pardon Of Binance Mogul

Just after pardoning the founder of Binance, President Donald Trump struggled to explain his decision — appearing unfamiliar with both the recipient and the legal issues surrounding the case that led to his conviction.

“President Trump has pardoned Changpeng Zhao,” The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, “the convicted founder of the crypto exchange Binance, following months of efforts by Zhao to boost the Trump family’s own crypto company.”

Asked on Thursday why he chose to issue the pardon, and if it had anything to do with Zhao’s involvement with the Trump family’s crypto business, the President responded, “Who is that?”

“The founder of Binance,” the reporter replied.

“The recent one, yes,” Trump said. “I believe we’re talking about the same person, ’cause I do pardon a lot of people.”

“I don’t know — he was recommended by a lot of people,” Trump continued. “A lot of people say that — are you talking about the crypto person?”

“Yes.”

“A lot of people say that he wasn’t guilty of anything,” the President declared. “He served four months in jail, and they say that he was not guilty of anything, that what he did —” Trump said before the reporter interjected.

“Well,” Trump responded, “you don’t know much about crypto, you know nothing about, you know nothing about nothing. You’re fake news.”

“But let me just tell you that he was,” Trump said, “somebody that, as I was told, I don’t know him, I don’t believe I’ve ever met him. But I’ve been told, a lot of support. He had a lot of support, and they said that what he did is not even a crime.”

“It wasn’t a crime, that he was persecuted by the Biden administration, and so I gave him a pardon at the request of a lot of very good people.”

The Wall Street Journal also reported that a “pardon will likely pave the way for Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, to return to the U.S. after the company pleaded guilty in 2023 to violating U.S. anti-money-laundering requirements and was barred from operating in the country.”

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

'Blatant Corruption': Trump Demands $230M In New Shakedown Of US Government

'Blatant Corruption': Trump Demands $230M In New Shakedown Of US Government

President Donald Trump is under fire after a New York Times bombshell revealed he wants $230 million from the Justice Department over two investigations targeting him during his campaign.

The Times explained that there is “no parallel in American history, as Mr. Trump, a presidential candidate, was pursued by federal law enforcement and eventually won the election, taking over the very government that must now review his claims.” The paper of record also called it “the starkest example yet of potential ethical conflicts created by installing the president’s former lawyers atop the Justice Department.”

Critics are blasting the president.

“It’s hard to think of an action more purely corrupt than a …. president ordering the executive branch to pay him hundreds of millions of dollars,” wrote David French, a New York Times opinion columnist. “I cannot wait to read the MAGA defenses of this (and there will be many). They’ll display Soviet levels of sycophancy.”Attorney Andrew Weinstein, a former Obama and Biden appointee, noted that “$230 million could feed every homeless veteran in America for more than 3 years.”

Jesse Lee, a former Obama and Biden official, remarked, “What a g– crook.”

Marlow Stern, who teaches at the Columbia Journalism School and is a former Rolling Stone senior editor, asked, “now he’s extorting… the u.s. justice department?”

Mother Jones reporter Dan Friedman quoted the Trump White House Press Secretary: “’I think it’s frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit,’ Karoline Leavitt said in May. ‘He left a life of luxury and a life of running a very successful real estate empire for public service.'”

Political historian Brian Rosenwald commented, “Like come the f– on, this is the most blatant corruption in American history. He’s just stealing from us the taxpayers.”

Derek Martin, founder and president of Pathfinder Research, wrote: “Trump is demanding taxpayers write him a check for $230 million while Republicans tell us they can’t afford to help ordinary Americans pay for health insurance. Cartoonishly evil.”

Jeff Hauser, who writes the Revolving Door Project on Substack, observed: “The dude is desecrating the White House and extorting the Treasury during a shutdown [after] several million Americans protested him. It’s kind of now or never for an opposition party to be provocative in attacking corruption. Trump is too busy enriching himself to govern.”

Media Matters’ Matthew Gertz wrote: “The president of the United States is attempting a smash-and-grab on the U.S. Treasury, and the people with the ability to say no are his former personal lawyers, this is insane.”

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

Mike Johnson

Angry Over Shutdown, Speaker Slanders Democrats As 'Antifa' And 'Pro-Hamas'

Facing growing backlash from Democrats and even lawmakers from his own party — as well as GOP voters — for sending the House into recess during the shutdown, Speaker Mike Johnson is turning his anger toward Democrats and the broader left.

As Politico reports, Johnson is “dead set on keeping the House out of session as long as it takes to pressure Senate Democrats” on the shutdown, to pass the House’s continuing resolution to fund the government.

The Speaker suggested tensions are so high in the halls of Congress right now that he thinks Democrats need to be “physically separated” from Republicans.

“Emotions are high. People are upset — I’m upset,” Johnson said on Thursday. “Is it better for them, probably, to be physically separated right now? Yeah, it probably is, frankly.”

Johnson, who was set to host a now-postponed private Palm Beach, Florida “retreat” and fundraiser this weekend, went even further on Friday morning.

“We’re so angry about it,” he told Fox News. “I mean, I’m a very patient guy, but I have had it with these people,” the Speaker said, emphatically, of Democrats. “They’re playing games with real people’s lives.”

“The theory we have right now — they have a hate-America rally that’s scheduled for October 18 on the National Mall. It’s the pro-Hamas wing and Antifa people, they’re all coming out. Some of the House Democrats are selling T-shirts for the event. ”

“And it’s being told to us that they won’t be able to re-open the government until after that rally, ’cause they can’t face their rabid base,” Johnson said, adding that he is “beyond words.”

Johnson appeared to be referring to the “No Kings” rally, a protest against authoritarianism, which is not only being held in Washington, D.C. on October 18, but nationwide.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

'Stark Raving Mad': Trump's UN Speech Did Not Go Well

'Stark Raving Mad': Trump's UN Speech Did Not Go Well

Shortly after concluding his widely panned 57-minute speech to the United Nations, President Donald Trump declared it was "very well received," but members of the foreign diplomatic corps and others appeared to disagree.

Calling his address to the UN "meandering," The New York Times wrote: "Boasting about his record and assailing the U.N. as ineffective in a nearly hourlong address, he sought to portray himself as the only leader who could solve the world’s problems."

The headline at Axios tells the tale: "Trump's middle finger to the UN: 'Your countries are going to hell'."

"With a few exceptions, Trump garnered very little applause from the leaders and diplomats in the room," the news outlet reported.

Indeed, some diplomats reportedly were angered by the American President's remarks.

Washington Post global affairs columnist Ishaan Tharoor reported: "A senior foreign diplomat posted at the UN texts me: 'This man is stark, raving mad. Do Americans not see how embarrassing this is?'"

Former U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica, Luis Moreno, responded, writing: "I speak to a lot of foreign diplomats, journalists, officials and just plain folks. They are simply astounded and speechless on how one man has turned us into a punchline. A very dangerous and reckless one. Americans need to wake up."

Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia and professor of political science Michael McFaul remarked: "Trumps UN speech will appeal to his MAGA base, but no one else. Missed opportunity."

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee, observed: "Trump just embarrassed our country in front of the entire world at the UN. We heard America in Retreat. For all our partners who still believe in the rule of law, freedom, human rights, and democracy, we need you to step up and lead. It will demand all our collective action."

The Atlantic's Tom Nichols, a retired U.S. Naval War College professor and Russia expert, added: "I would say that it's a dangerous thing to show the world that the American president is clearly suffering from some kind of disordered emotional issue, but by this point, there's not a country on the planet that didn't already know it."

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Judge Blasts Troop Deployment As Trump Rants About 'Murder Capital'  Chicago

Judge Blasts Troop Deployment As Trump Rants About 'Murder Capital'  Chicago

President Donald Trump escalated efforts to broaden his “emergency” crime takeover of Washington, D.C. by threatening to send federal troops to Chicago, falsely branding the city the “Murder Capital of the World” in a Tuesday morning tirade. The remarks came just before a federal judge ruled that Trump’s deployment of federal troops to Los Angeles was illegal and violated the Posse Comitatus Act, by effectively turning the military into a “national police force with the president as its chief.”

Decrying that eight people were killed in Chicago over the weekend, Trump falsely claimed, “Chicago is the worst and most dangerous city in the World, by far.”

He insisted that Illinois Democratic Governor JB Pritzker “needs help badly, he just doesn’t know it yet. I will solve the crime problem fast, just like I did in DC. Chicago will be safe again, and soon.”

The president followed up those remarks by falsely declaring, in all-caps, “Chicago is the murder capital of the world!”

Other cities in the U.S. have a higher murder rate than Chicago’s 24 per 100,000 people, including Memphis, St. Louis, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Birmingham, and Philadelphia. Worldwide, currently, Colima, Mexico has been dubbed the “murder capital of the world,” with a rate nearly eight times higher than Chicago’s.

Just after Trump’s apparent bid to pave the way for a possible D.C.-style deployment into Chicago, a federal judge blasted the President.

“A federal judge ruled Tuesday that President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violated federal law by using the US military to help carry out law enforcement activities in and around Los Angeles this summer,” CNN reported. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer “concluded that Trump’s use of thousands of federalized California National Guard members and US Marines to provide protection to federal agents during an aggressive immigration crackdown in the Los Angeles area ran afoul of the Posse Comitatus Act, a 19th Century law that generally prohibits the use of troops for domestic law enforcement purposes.”

Politico’s Kyle Cheney, one of the first to report on Judge Breyer’s ruling, wrote that “Trump billed his deployment of troops to Los Angeles, starting in early June, as a way of bolstering immigration enforcement efforts amid protests in the city against the president’s deportation agenda. Though Trump has now withdrawn all but 300 of those troops, he is mulling sending troops to other major cities, such as Chicago.”

Responding to the Judge’s ruling, Fox News co-host Jessica Tarlov noted, “Get ready for this to happen when Trump deploys the Guard to Chicago.”

CNN’s Edward-Isaac Dovere observed, “this is a court win for Newsom that could have a wider effect as Trump looks at more National Guard deployments.”

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

'I Know A Lot About Grass': Trump Meanders In Bizarre Kennedy Center Remarks

'I Know A Lot About Grass': Trump Meanders In Bizarre Kennedy Center Remarks

President Donald Trump wandered through a litany of grievances and a long list of concerns during his announcement of the Kennedy Center honorees at the iconic Washington, D.C., venue on Wednesday.

During his lengthy remarks, Trump falsely claimed once again that he won the “rigged” 2020 election that he actually lost, he spoke about renovations to the White House and the Kennedy Center, he gave a lesson about the importance of grass, he praised U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) for newly-released favorable poll numbers, he repeatedly attacked Democrats, talked about purchasing new seats rather than refurbishing the ones at the Kennedy Center, claimed trillions of dollars in tariffs are coming in from foreign countries all over the world, acknowledged accusations of being a “dictator” after taking over Washington, D.C.’s police force, claimed D.C.’s crime statistics are fraudulent, and warned that he may do the same to top Democratic cities across the nation that he did to the nation’s capital city — all before taking questions from reporters.

As he took questions, the President continued to veer off topic. He told reporters that Congressional Democrats are led by “insane” and “crazy” people, he called the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York a “communist,” he claimed that there are no taxes on Social Security payments, he complained about “potholes” in D.C.’s roads, called for a “very talented asphalt-type person” to repave the roads, and brushed off news Russia had hacked into U.S. federal court computer systems.

Trump continued talking to reporters, saying that he turned down “a couple of wokesters” who were nominated, talked about viewership for his Apprentice TV series, claimed he “finished” building the wall at the Southern border during his first term, complained about Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s building renovations, talked about his nicknames for Powell — “Too Late” and for U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) — “Pocahontas,” U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) — “Shifty Schiff,” and Hillary Clinton — “Crooked Hillary.”

Some excerpts:

“The bones are so good,” Trump said of the Kennedy Center. “The bones of a building, you don’t have good bones, you might as well forget it. I’m working in another building, a thing, called the White House. We’re fixing it up so beautifully. It needed it.”

He also said, “we’re going to also fix up a place called Washington, D.C. We’re going to make it so beautiful again, we’re going to be redoing the parks, redoing the grass. You know, grass isn’t a lifetime like people have a lifetime, and a lifetime of this grass is long been gone when you look at the parks where the grass is all tired, exhausted, we’re going to redo the grass with the finest grasses. I know a lot about grass because I own a lot of golf courses, and if you don’t have good grass, you’re not in business very long.”

“Lindsey Graham. By the way, you have very good poll numbers. Lindsey, I just saw congratulations.”

“We ended the woke political programming, and we’re restoring the Kennedy Center as the premier venue for performing arts anywhere in the country, anywhere in the world.”

Trump also said, “we secured the critical funding necessary to rebuild the building and we’re gonna get all brand new, highest level seats magnificent seats, and it’s gonna be all new. We could have taken the existing ones and do it a little paint job, a little fabric, but it’s not the same thing. So we’ll be taking out next season, all of the seats will be taken out.”

“If we say, ‘We want to stop crime in this country, or, as an example, bail, we want to make it so that people if they murder somebody, they’re in jail, they don’t get out on no bail,” Democrats “say, ‘We don’t want that. We want people to murder somebody, and they immediately are released, and they go out and murder somebody else.”

Crime in Washington, D.C. “is the worst that’s ever been, but it started as of about yesterday. It started, you see a big change, and people are feeling safe already. I’ve had so many calls. ‘Thank you, sir, thank you.’ They were afraid to walk out. They’re not afraid anymore.”

Watch the video below or at this link.

- YouTube www.youtube.com


Reprinted with permission from Alternet

Reckless Gabbard Published CIA's Most Closely Guarded Secrets

Reckless Gabbard Published CIA's Most Closely Guarded Secrets

The minimally redacted classified report on Russia’s interference in the 2016 election that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released late last month contains information so sensitive that it could allow America’s enemies to detect top-secret spying techniques and human sources, and could result in America’s allies reconsidering the trust they place in the U.S. Intelligence Community, one top Democrat is warning.

The CIA and other intelligence agencies opposed the release of the 46-page report, according to The Washington Post, but Director Gabbard released it “with the blessing of President Donald Trump.”

“The document contains multiple references to CIA human sources reporting on Putin’s plans. Such sources are among the agency’s most closely guarded secrets,” the Post reported.

“Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Attorney General Pam Bondi have released a slew of intelligence and law enforcement reports over the last month that they claim — without evidence — prove that spy agencies’ finding that Moscow intervened in the 2016 presidential contest to help Trump is a ‘hoax’ concocted by the Obama administration,” according to the Post.

Indeed, the report Gabbard released, stemming from a 2017 Republican majority House Intelligence Committee review, disputes U.S. intelligence agencies’ findings that Russian President Vladimir Putin preferred the Republican nominee for president, Donald Trump in 2016, over Democrat Hillary Clinton, and made efforts to help him get elected.

A Republican majority U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee report confirmed that Russian President Putin endeavored to help get now-President Donald Trump elected in 2016:

“The Committee found that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian effort to hack computer networks and accounts affiliated with the Democratic Party and leak information damaging to Hillary Clinton and her campaign for president. Moscow’s intent was to harm the Clinton Campaign, tarnish an expected Clinton presidential administration, help the Trump Campaign after Trump became the presumptive Republican nominee, and undermine the U.S. democratic process.”

Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, blasted Gabbard’s release of the 46-page House report.

“The desperate and irresponsible release of the partisan House Intelligence report puts at risk some of the most sensitive sources and methods our Intelligence Community uses to spy on Russia and keep Americans safe,” Senator Warner said in a statement, according to the Post. “And in doing so, Director Gabbard is sending a chilling message to our allies and assets around the world: the United States can no longer be trusted to protect the intelligence you share with us.”

Separately, on Tuesday, Sen. Warner wrote on social media, “Tulsi Gabbard is a threat to our national security and should be fired.”

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.