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White House Chief Of Staff Rips Vance, Musk, Vought -- And Trump's 'Alcoholic Personality'

White House Chief Of Staff Rips Vance, Musk, Vought -- And Trump's 'Alcoholic Personality'

President Donald Trump's former campaign manager and current chief of staff, Susie Wiles left no one untouched speaking to a Vanity Fair reporter

In a new tell-all article, Wiles calls Vice President JD Vance "a conspiracy theorist for a decade."

There has been speculation about Vance's conversion from calling Trump "Hitler" to becoming a fierce defender of the president. Wiles reveals in the interview that Vance has been "sort of political" in his conversion.

Wiles also criticized Russell Vought, the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Vought was the "architect of the notorious Project 2025," the Heritage Foundation plot to radically change the U.S. government from the inside.

According to Wiles, Vought is nothing more than "a right-wing absolute zealot."

Vought was closely involved with the effort to eliminate thousands of federal workers, leading to a brain drain of some of the smartest experts in government, Reuters reported in September.

Vanity Fair asked Wiles about the effort under Elon Musk to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget. Toward the end of his time in the White House, Musk confessed he would only able to cut about $150 billion by the end of 2026.

In March, the billionaire argued, in a since-deleted posted, that leaders like Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler "didn't murder millions of people. Their public sector workers did."

Wiles said of the statement, “I think that’s when he’s microdosing.”

Wiles remark was in reference to reports of Musk's heavy drug use while working in the White House. In May, the New York Times reported Musk had a daily supply of 20 ketamine pills. He mixed the ketamine with ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms and Adderall, according to the Times.

Wiles said she never had first-hand knowledge of Musk's drug use.

...

At one point during the interview, which involved a number of Trump staff members, Wiles said Trump has “an alcoholic’s personality."

She explained that he “operates [with] a view that there’s nothing he can’t do. Nothing, zero, nothing.”

Trump's brother, Fred Trump Jr., was an alcoholic, and Trump doesn't drink alcohol at all. However Mary Trump, the president's niece, has said that for the president, "nothing is ever enough."

"This is far beyond garden-variety narcissism," Trump's niece, who has a degree in clinical psychology, said of Trump. "Donald is not simply weak, his ego is a fragile thing that must be bolstered every moment because he knows deep down that he is nothing of what he claims to be."

Mary Trump wrote that her grandfather bullied his son, Fred Jr., into alcoholism.

Later in the Vanity Fair report, it explains that Wiles' father "was an absentee father and an alcoholic, and Wiles helped her mother stage interventions to get him into treatment." He finally got sober and stayed there for the 21 years before his 2013 death.

"Alcoholism does bad things to relationships, and so it was with my dad and me,” Wiles said.

“Some clinical psychologist that knows one million times more than I do will dispute what I’m going to say. But high-functioning alcoholics or alcoholics in general, their personalities are exaggerated when they drink. And so I’m a little bit of an expert in big personalities.” Wiles said.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

Mourning The Reiners: Stricken Friends Recall Their Artistry, Activism And Kindness

Mourning The Reiners: Stricken Friends Recall Their Artistry, Activism And Kindness

Filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner and his photographer wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were murdered on Sunday, sending shockwaves through Hollywood and the Democratic Party.

Reiner was 78, but was still at work on projects, releasing Spinal Tap II: The End Continues in September.

Tributes and stores poured in from the lives of those he and his wife touched.

Former President Barack Obama wrote on X, “Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen. But beneath all of the stories he produced was a deep belief in the goodness of people—and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action."

John Cusack, who played Walter in The Sure Thing wrote on X, “Shocked by the death of Rob Reiner – a great man.”

Deadline posted a statement released from the family of Norman Lear saying, “The Lear Family is devastated by the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner. Norman often referred to Rob as a son, and their close relationship was extraordinary, to us and the world. Norman would have wanted to remind us that Rob and Michele spent every breath trying to make this country a better place, and they pursued that through their art, their activism, their philanthropy, and their love for family and friends. Lyn Lear had remained very close with them and said, 'The world is unmistakably darker tonight, and we are left bereft.'"

Trainer Neda Soderqvist posted on Instagram that close friends and family need privacy.

"Thank you for all your messages. I can't function right now. My brain can't even gather the words. I will get back with everyone. I was just with Michele Reiner yesterday," she wrote in the photo of her message.

"Thank you for all your messages but right now I cannot communicate with anybody," she wrote as the comment. "Michele was [one] of my BESTEST FRIENDS I’ve been with Michele and Rob Reiner for the last 15 years and I’ve spent five days a week with her and I was just with her yesterday. Please respect the family and respect me right now. I cannot answer questions."

Entertainment journalist Kyle Stevens wrote on X, "I remember asking Rob & Nick Reiner an innocent little question about pro wrestling on a show I worked on. Little did I know that 9 years later, the footage would be examined after the tragic death of #RobReiner in a story that is still developing. Nick’s response stayed with me."

Actress and producer Meredith Salenger posted a photo of her and Reiner together, saying, "There are no words. He was such a light. Beyond his talent in film, he advocated for the best of society. He was a true leader. This is an unimaginable loss."

Beach Boys guitarist and singer Al Jardine posted photos of himself with the Reiners.

Director and activist Julie Cohen highlighted that the couple was "thoughtful, money-where-your-mouth-is progressive activists. While police investigate their deaths as homicides, Hollywood mourns. RIP.

Star Trek legend and activist George Takei wrote on BlueSky, "Some of the best movies ever made were by Rob Reiner. They made us laugh and think: The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men. And he was a force on screen as well in All in the Family and so many films. What a tragic loss. Words fail with news like this."

Actor Josh Gad wrote on Instagram, "He was one of the greatest directors of our time. He was a friend. He was simply a beautiful person. Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle were two of the most kind and caring souls you could ever imagine. He cared so much for those who had no voices. This loss is devastating. I cannot express how much this hurts. Love you Rob and Michelle. Thank you for all you gave us."

"Bridesmaids" director Paul Feig posted on X, "One of my most cherished pictures. Rob [Reiner] was my true hero. A true visionary titan and a lovely lovely person. One never knows if it’s proper to post during something as tragic as this. But I just want the world to know what so many of us know in the industry. Rob was the best."

Actress Virginia Madsen wrote on Instagram, "Damn this awful news out of Brentwood. God be with those who love them. Thank you Rob for giving us so much joy to hold on to. Life and talent always turned up to 11."

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and spouse Jennifer Siebel Newsom issued a statement saying, in part, “Rob was the big-hearted genius behind so many of the classic stories we love, with projects as wide-ranging as ‘The Princess Bride’ to ‘A Few Good Men.’ His boundless empathy made his stories timeless, teaching generations how to see goodness and righteousness in others – and encouraging us to dream bigger."

Actor Kathy Bates, who worked with Reiner on Misery and Primary Colors told NBC, "I’m horrified hearing this terrible news. Absolutely devastated. I loved Rob. He was brilliant and kind, a man who made films of every genre to challenge himself as an artist. He also fought courageously for his political beliefs. He changed the course of my life."

She went on to call Michele Reiner a “gifted photographer.”

Actor Kevin Nealon wrote on X, "Rob Reiner. The humor is smart and the heart is real. His films were part of the air for us. Grateful for what he made, and for what he and his wife gave the world."

Retired celebrity reporter and AP entertainment editor Michael Weinfeld recalled speaking to Reiner's father Carl in a 1993 interview in which the elder Reiner called Rob his and his wife's "greatest creation."

Reprintd with permission from Alternet


Thom Tillis

'Wipeout': Republicans Terrified 2026 Blue Wave Will Flip Senate And House

Republicans are increasingly anxious about the 2026 midterm elections, fearing a potential “wipeout” that could cost them their House majority and several Senate seats.

The Hill reported Monday that off-year elections in Virginia, New Jersey, and municipal races around the country indicate they might be in trouble.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), who is not running for reelection, told the outlet, “If we are where we are today in the beginning of the second quarter [of 2026], then I think we’re in for a really rough time in November.”

“We have plenty of time to address it. There are a lot of positive things that we’re doing here, that the administration is doing. But if you mess with health care … if we don’t get health care policy right, if we don’t get some of the cost policies right, we’re going to have major headwinds next year,” he added.

The Hill reported that the biggest concern is the coattails of President Donald Trump, which have never been especially strong. Republicans lost power in their first midterm election after Trump’s 2016 win, when Democrats flipped the House in 2018. It was already a concern in January 2016, when former Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) told Reuters he did not think Trump could help carry down-ballot candidates later that year.

Trump’s approval rating currently stands at 41.9 percent in a recent polling average compiled by Decision Desk HQ. On the generic congressional ballot — that is, whether voters say they would support a Democratic or Republican candidate — Democrats lead with 46.8 percent to 41.4 percent, according to DDHQ’s average.

One Republican on a conference call with the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) said election fears have spread among many senators up for reelection in 2026.

“The numbers are terrible,” said the unnamed lawmaker. “Not necessarily for any individual incumbent senator, although some of them aren’t very good. But you saw what happened a couple of weeks ago. Republicans didn’t win anything anywhere.”Democrats won the governor’s races in both Virginia and New Jersey. In Virginia, Trump did not participate, but in New Jersey, the president offered a full endorsement and support to the GOP nominee.

“There are a lot of warning signs blinking,” the lawmaker noted. “We’re increasingly on defense on the Senate side. … I think there’s a lot of concern.”

“Look at the 2018 midterm, we lost 41 seats in the House. The Speaker can only lose three this time,” a different GOP senator said.“I would expect to lose the House; I’m just trying to be objective,” the senator confessed.

Trump appeared to see the writing on the wall several months ago when he pressed Texas to pursue mid-decade redistricting to gerrymander congressional lines and eliminate solidly Democratic seats, a move that drew national criticism. California lawmakers, facing their own political pressures, moved ahead with a mid-decade redraw that targeted several Republican-held districts. A court has now thrown out the new Texas maps, ordering lawmakers back to the drawing board.

Other states, like Indiana, are resisting Trump’s demands to eliminate their remaining Democratic-held seats, even as they face pressure over redistricting. After years of litigation, a court ruled that Utah must draw a Democratic-leaning district centered on the Salt Lake City area, ensuring that Democrats have at least one realistic opportunity to win a seat there.

“The conventional wisdom was Democrats were screwed, and we were going to be in a hole of anywhere from 10 to 17 seats because of redistricting. That was back in the middle of July. Looking where we are now, that’s absolutely not the case,” said a Democratic strategist, according to The Hill.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

J.D. Vance

What You Need To Know About J.D. Vance, Trump's Hustling Lackey

Donald Trump announced that his vice presidential running mate will be J.D. Vance, the Ohio Senator and a close friend of Trump's son Donald Jr.

While Vance has a long history of harshly criticizing Trump, he has spent the past few years working to pivot to be a MAGA loyalist.

As The Nation's Joan Walsh wrote in June, Vance became the supposed bard of the white working class after he wrote his memoir Hillbilly Elegy. The New York Times promoted it as "a tough love analysis of the poor who back Trump."

Meanwhile, PBS noted that after Trump's near-death experience at the weekend, the role of Vance is now much more significant.

Here are five things that Americans should know about Vance:

1. Onlookers have claimed Vance's morals have collapsed

According to retired professor Tom Nichols, who describes himself as a Never Trump conservative, Vance is a "contemptible and cringe-inducing clown."

Writing for The Nation in July 2021, Nichols said that the lawmaker has turned "on everything he once claimed to believe." He's a "sellout” or “backstabber." A “traitor” or “apostate.”

"Worse, Vance has not only repudiated his earlier views on Trump, but has done so with ruthless cynicism, embracing the former president and his madness while winking at the media with a What can you do? shrug about the stupidity of Ohio’s voters," said Nichols

“If I actually care about these people and the things I say I care about,” Nichols quoted Vance telling Time Magazine, “I need to just suck it up and support him.”

Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara called Vance a “pathetic loser poser fake jerk."

Cleveland News Scene said of Vance: "If politics is the art of empty gestures, J.D. was proving himself a prodigy."

2. Vance has been accused of lying about being a "working class hero."

New York magazine reporter Sarah Jones wrote in March that Vance pretends he's fighting for working-class people but that the reality is he's trying to "reshape the Republican Party, and America too, in part by appealing to working-class voters."

She was responding to a Politico profile heralding that Vance was "something like an intellectual, or at least like a completely unselfconscious nerd."

The reality is, she wrote, he's become a "figurehead for the New Right," attacking anti-Trump conservatives and the left to ensure the "upper echelons of American government, business, media, entertainment and academia" are all "populated" by conservatives.

Vance isn't fighting for working-class people, she argued. His voting record in the Senate shows he opposes union organizing while marching on picket lines with the UAW.

Historian Gabriel Winant wrote Vance’s “false class politics” puts “the suffering of working-class people” in “conspiratorial rather than structural terms.”

"Vance isn’t stupid," Jones said. "And he knows that he can stitch anything onto a critique that is divorced from reality. He can peddle racism in anti-immigration ads and justify himself by his mother’s addiction... He can insist that he is still that working-class whisperer. But the truth is far uglier. The working class has many enemies in Washington, and Vance is one of them. He is selling out America’s workers to his friends and allies on the right — and they have no interest in sharing power or wealth with the masses. The New Right seeks power for itself and itself alone. In Vance’s America, workers will stay on the bottom rung."

3. Trump has complete control over Vance, critics have said.

Unlike former Vice President Mike Pence, Vance's career in Republican politics is tied to Trump. While Vance's successful book may have catapulted him to success, it is his association with Trump and MAGA that has put him in a position of power, experts have said.

As the Cleveland News Scene recalled, Trump "is a cruel master. He demanded servility from his yes-men, then belittled them for their weakness in doing so. He couldn’t resist mocking J.D. for the toady he’d become."

“J.D. is kissing my a-s he wants my support so bad,” Trump told a rally crowd in Ohio. It was a humiliation for Vance, said the Toledo Blade.

Still, the Cleveland report called Trump the "impresario of fraud," who was doing nothing more than "mocking a lesser practitioner."

4. He's been criticized as being little more than a right-wing troll

The Guardian's Jan-Werner Müller wrote, "Vance has perfected what, on the right, tends to substitute for policy ideas these days: trolling the liberals," Müller wrote. "Mobilizing voters is less about programs, let alone a real legislative record (Vance has none; his initiatives like making English the official language of the US are just virtue signaling for conservative culture warriors). Rather, it’s to generate political energy by deepening people’s sense of shared victimhood."

The column noted that "Vance has perfected what, on the right, tends to substitute for policy ideas these days: trolling the liberals."

MSNBC opinion columnist Hayes Brown highlighted another way that Vance was able to deploy his trolling beyond social media to the halls of the U.S. Senate.

In a letter to the Justice Department, Brown said that right-wing trolls are always known for asking questions they claim they're "just asking."

"Ones who pretend they aren’t necessarily arguing for any specific point of view or outcome but are just bravely bringing thorny subjects up," Brown said.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Senator Claire McCaskill

WATCH Former Senator Offers Roadmap To Indicting Trump

As more information becomes available about the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, questions are surfacing beyond President Donald Trump's role, including what he was doing for hours while even his political allies were begging him to intervene.

Speaking to MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace on Monday, former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), who is also a former state prosecutor, explained what she would encourage Attorney General Merrick Garland to do in terms of persuading members of a grand jury to indict Trump criminally. She encouraged prosecutors to walk jurors through what it looked like in those moments when Trump was watching television coverage of the riots.

According to those who were there in the White House on Jan. 6, Trump was glued to the TV, excited over what his supporters were doing for him. What McCaskill explained is that the text messages, emails, phone calls and desperate requests for help he and his staff were getting are all evidence of Trump's malicious intent.

"We can go through and we can put the images at a specific time," she explained. "And we can then fill in the text messages, the phone calls that were flooding the White House saying, get him to call them off. Now, what was he watching on TV at those moments? He was watching windows being broken. He was watching police officers being stabbed with flag poles. He was watching people hang from the balcony in the Senate. He was watching people carry around government property proudly like trophies in the capital. And, frankly, he was watching a confrontation at the door of the House where someone was killed."

According to the accounts of those present, Trump loved it.

"Give me those facts. Give me those timelines, and give me a jury," McCaskill said. "I'm just telling you, any responsible leader would want to end the violence, not provoke it. That's what he did that day, and that's what this committee is going to layout. And that's where Merrick Garland is either going to rise to the occasion or go down in infamy as one of the worst attorney generals in this country's history."

Watch the entire interview below:

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

Giuliani Says Trump Tower Moscow Talks Went On Until November 2016

Giuliani Says Trump Tower Moscow Talks Went On Until November 2016

Reprinted with permission from AlterNet.
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President Donald Trump told his lawyer Rudy Giuliani that he “may” have spoken to Michael Cohen before his congressional testimony, but doesn’t recall what was said. Phone logs or records could probably jog the president’s memory, but it doesn’t seem the White House has yet consulted those.

Cohen lied to Congress about whether there was a Trump Tower, Moscow deal. Giuliani denied that there was a deal. When he acknowledged there were talks about it, Giuliani said that there was never a signed letter of intent or anything official. When the signed letter of intent was revealed, Giuliani pivoted to change Trump’s story again.

Trump and Giuliani are now both denying that Trump told Cohen to lie to Congress, though the president has no idea what all was discussed, because he was too busy, according to Giuliani.

“The best he could do is, ‘We talked about it, I knew he was running with it, I honestly didn’t pay much attention to it,’” Giuliani said of Trump’s recollection. Giuliani added that Trump recalled, “‘It was all going from the day I announced to the day I won.’”

Trump previously said that there was no deal. His take then evolved to say that there was a deal and everyone knew about it.

“The president couldn’t tell you the exact day it started and the exact day it ended; he remembers it started and he remembers it ended,” Giuliani told the New York Times. “It never got to anything concrete.”

Giuliani alleged to CNN’s Jake Tapper Sunday that Cohen was trying to get a reduced sentence. Cohen was convicted of lying to Congress, however. He’s also previously received a sentence for his guilty pleas, so it’s unclear what sentence Giulian is talking about.

The lawyer also said that Trump would never have directly told Cohen to lie. It’s unclear if there were unspoken instructions to do so, however. Giuliani refused to answer a question about it when Tapper asked.

The special counsel’s office reported that the initial BuzzFeed report claiming Trump told Cohen to lie is not accurate according to their records.