Today in Politics, Bulletin 212. 9/22/25 Ron Filipkowski Sep 22 ∙ … Trump and RFK Jr gave a batshit crazy press conference on autism where we heard a bunch of novel scientific theories. I think it raised my blood pressure to levels not reached since the 2020 covid briefings that led to me switch political parties to escape the Republican insane asylum. Here were some of the “highlights”: Trump: “Bobby wants to be very careful with what he says. I’m not so careful with what I say. Certain groups, the Amish, as an example - they have essentially no autism.” Trump: “There's a rumor and I don't know if it's so or not—that Cuba, they don't have Tylenol because they don't have the money for Tylenol, and they have virtually no autism.” Trump: "Asceda -- well, let's see how we say that. Ascenem -- enophin. Acetaminophen. Is that okay?" Trump: "Taking Tylenol is, uh, not good. I'll say it. It's not good." Trump: "If you can't tough it out, if you can't do it, that's what you're gonna have to do. You'll take a Tylenol, but it'll be very sparingly. I think you shouldn't take it." Trump: “I can say that there are certain groups of people that don't take vaccines and don't take any pills that have no autism. Is that a correct statement, by the way? RFK JR: There are some studies.” Trump: "I think it has - I think it's very bad. They're pumping, it looks like they're pumping into a horse. You have a little child, a little fragile child, and you get a vat of 80 different vaccines, I guess. 80 different blends. And they pump it in. So ideally, a woman won't take Tylenol." Trump: “With Tylenol, don't take it. Don't take it. And if you can't live, if your fever is so bad, you have to take one because there's no alternative to that, sadly. First question, what can you take instead? Actually, there's not an alternative to that. As you know, other of the medicines have been proven bad with the aspirins and Advils and others, right?” Trump: “We want no mercury in the vaccine. We want no aluminum any in the vaccine. The M.M.R. I think should be taken separately. This is based on what I feel. separately. It seems to be that when you mix them, there could with a problem.” Trump: “For boys it's 1 in 12. I was told that's in California where we have they have a, for some reason, a more severe problem.” RFK Jr: "Some of our friends like to say that we should believe all women. But some of these people have been silencing and demonizing these mothers for three decades. Because research on the potential link between autism and vaccines has been actively suppressed in the past.” … I have every confidence based on countless prior examples that network and local news will be able to produce segments that make Trump’s batshit crazy presser with RFK Jr appear entirely sane and rational. … Karoline Leavitt said Tom Homan is not guilty of bribery: “Homan never took the $50,000 so you should get your facts straight. This was another example of the weaponization of the Biden DOJ against one of President Trump’s strongest and most vocal supporters. You had FBI agents going undercover to try and entrap one of the president's top allies. Homan did absolutely nothing wrong. Even Kash Patel and prosecutors looked into this and they found zero evidence of criminal activity.” … WaPo’s Carol Leonnig immediately responded: “WH spokesperson says that Homan never took $50,000. We reviewed internal document saying Homan accepted the cash payment from undercover FBI agents in September 2024.” … MSNBC’s Ken Dilanian: “The WH is now saying Homan didn't take the $50,000 in cash. That was not part of their statement when we first went to them on Sat. Multiple people familiar with the case say he did accept the money, as does an internal govt document reviewed by MSNBC. To settle this, it would be great if the WH would release the case files and any FBI recordings of Homan's meetings with undercover agents posing as businessmen.” … Immediately after the press conference, Democracy Forward filed a FOIA request for the release of the Homan tapes. … Also, just to be clear. Tom Homan was not the target of this investigation by the FBI. As happens often in criminal investigations, they were looking at someone else and Homan wandered into their net unexpectedly as a willing participant in a bribery scheme, making it known that he was open for business to any and all fraudsters for the right price. … Media Matters: “As of noon ET, Fox News has not mentioned reports that its then-employee Tom Homan accepted a bag of cash from undercover FBI agents as part of a corruption probe closed under the Trump admin.” … The press conference continued: Q - “On Letitia James, what does President Trump plan to do if Pam Bondi tells him that there is not enough evidence to charge his political opponent with crimes? Leavitt: That's a hypothetical question. That hasn't happened at this point.” … Q - “The case against Letitia James was investigated for 5 months and the handpicked attorney could not find any evidence that she committed a crime so is the president saying here that it doesn’t matter if there’s a crime, he just wants his political enemies to be charged? Leavitt - She led the witch hunt against President Trump. This is an individual who is corrupt and abused her office.” … “The president has every right to express how he feels about these people who literally campaigned on trying to put him in jail, who literally tried to ruin his life and ruin his businesses. He wants to see accountability for those who abuse their office and abuse their power. Letitia James absolutely did that whether you want to admit it or not. Reporter: Is that not retribution? Leavitt: It’s accountability.” … Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY): “Let’s follow along: Trump directs DOJ to investigate his enemies. VA US Attorney refused to prosecute two of them due to lack of evidence. He is fired by Trump. Trump hires his own personal defense attorney as VA US Attorney to take over investigations. Wonder why she was hired?” … Q - “Crop prices with farmers, as there is no official trade deal with China, farmers are getting a little bit antsy. Is there anything we can expect to see from the admin on like bailing farmers out? Leavitt: The admin understands the anxiety of farmers. We have very much aware of this issue. I don't have any news for you today.” … Leavitt then claimed that Trump saved the Ryder Cup, which has been played since 1927: “Friday, the president will travel to Long Island for the Ryder cup golf match. This event is one of the greatest sporting events in the world and it would not be taking place this year without Trump's help. Trump signed an executive order last week preventing a strike that would have crippled the NYC area ahead of the tournament.” … Q: “How does Trump saying, ‘I hate my opponent and I don't want the best for them’ square with bringing down the temperature of political violence? Leavitt: Look, the president is authentically himself. I think that's why millions of Americans across the country love him.” … WaPo: “In the Eastern District of VA, Erik Siebert’s ouster Friday set off a wave of concern among the more than 300 attorneys and staff in the Alexandria-based office — and within some parts of the Trump admin. Dep. AG Todd Blanche, the president’s former personal lawyer, was among those in the dept’s top echelons who had pushed to keep Siebert on the job, noting his effectiveness in advancing other admin priorities such as immigration enforcement.” … “Prosecutors described a widespread sense of confusion as Siebert’s departure — and the demotion of his chief deputy, who normally would have succeeded him — left unclear for hours who was in charge. Trump said that he had picked Lindsey Halligan, a WH adviser and another of his ex-lawyers, as Siebert’s replacement. She enters the role facing deep unease from her new staff, according to several of the office’s current and former prosecutors.” … “Many of them wondered how Halligan, an insurance lawyer with no previous prosecutorial experience, would navigate the minefield of thorny legal questions that arise in sensitive investigations such as those into James Comey and Letitia James.” … ABC/Disney announced that they are reinstating Jimmy Kimmel: “Last Wed, we made the decision to suspend production of the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional moment for our country. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached the decision to return the show on Tues.” … Over the past several days, many artists announced they would not perform or appear in upcoming Disney/ABC shows. This morning, Howard Stern announced on his show that he has canceled his Disney+ subscription: “I can no longer keep my mouth shut. I feel obligated to say something because shit is getting out of control. When the govt begins to interfere, it isn’t good. And I should know. Networks all bent the knew and they all cower. Someone’s got to stand up says say, ‘hey enough, we’re not gonna bow.’” … NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani had also announced early this morning that he decided to cancel a scheduled town hall with WABC News on Sept 25 because of the Kimmel suspension: “We cannot accept any capitulation to Donald Trump’s attacks on our fundamental freedoms. Now is the time for leadership that fights back with action.” … Brian Stelter on CNN: “Trump now says the tech billionaires Larry Ellison and Michael Dell plus the Murdochs could be part of the TikTok deal. This means that Fox would actually be getting a small stake in TikTok. These billionaires who are going to be in this American investor consortium, they are of course Trump friendly. That raises new questions about how the algorithm could be used to influence a partisan political agenda.” … Gavin Newsom: “This should not be treated lightly. The GOP are buying up platforms to control the news and information you receive. They are censoring you in real time.” … The Charlie Kirk memorial service in AZ last night turned into a far right political rally led by the Mourner-in-Chief Donald Trump, who seemed hard broken after losing his surrogate son: “Tariffs are making us rich again. Richer than anybody ever thought was possible. And the only one challenging them are people that hate our country or foreign countries that are paying a price.” … Trump continue his moving tribute to Kirk: “The same commentators who this week are screaming fascism over a canceled late night TV show where the anchor had no talent and no ratings, last week were implying that he deserved what happened.” … He then praised Kirk for wanting to engage with his political opponents, but concluded with this: "That's where I disagree with Charlie. I hate my opponents, and I don't want the best for them." … Stephen Miller turned it into Nuremberg Rally 2.0: “We will defeat the dark. We will prevail over the forces of wickedness and evil. They cannot imagine what they have awakened. They cannot conceive of the army that they have arisen. We stand for what is good, virtuous, noble.” … Miller continued: “To those who are against us? “What do YOU HAVE? You have NOTHING, you are nothing! You are wickedness, you are jealousy, you are hatred, YOU ARE NOTHING! You can build nothing, produce nothing, create nothing. You thought you could kill Charlie Kirk? You have made him immortal.” … German political commentator Jurgen Nauditt reacted to Miller’s speech: “This is 100% Goebbels. Terms like ‘forces of evil,’ ‘the good,’ and ‘the virtuous,’ as well as the notion of an ‘inflamed army,’ reflect a dualistic worldview that pits good against evil—a stylistic device often used in totalitarian ideologies to mobilize emotions and demonize opponents.” … Jim Stewartson, who reports on right-wing extremism: “Stephen Miller’s speech at Kirk’s memorial was essentially plagiarized. See if you can spot the similarities. The Storm is Coming by Joseph Goebbels (1932) - ‘The others may lie, slander, and pour their scorn on us — their political days are numbered. They promised you, workers, citizens and creative Germans, a Reich of freedom and beauty and dignity. People, rise up, and storm, break loose! You are the witnesses, the builders, the will-bearers of our idea and our worldview.” … “Well, we the people have awakened! We have risen against oppression, 15 million people have joined in an army of revenge. You, men, women and comrades, are the bearers, witnesses, builders and finishers of this unique people’s uprising. We have served the truth, and only the truth. For 12 years, they have insulted and outlawed and slandered and persecuted us.” … Richard Hanania: “There’s a reason that American rightists stopped quoting people like Lincoln and the Founders, and even Reagan. There’s nothing they can point to in the American tradition that justifies what they want. Unless you’re going to identify with the defeated forces in American history.” … Frequent Kirk podcast guest host Jack Posobiec also spoke: “A century from now, when they write of the pivotal moment that saved western civilization, they will write that the sacrifice of Charles James Kirk was the turning point. We will never, ever let the left, the media, or the Democrats forget the name Charlie Kirk.” … TPUSA spokesman Andrew Kolvet responded to criticisms of their service: “We do not grieve the way the world grieves.” … ATF bomb techs had to be called in after the event because there was so much trash and debris left behind outside, including chairs and coolers. … Forbes reports that the Trump family’s net worth has doubled since the 2024 election: “Crypto is the big driver, but additional funds have come from advising right-wing companies in America and partnering with cash-rich firms overseas, especially in the Middle East. Family members who have never had significant fortunes of their own - Eric, Don Jr, Melania and Barron - have accumulated hundreds of millions of dollars. All told, the family is now worth an estimated $10 billion, having nearly doubled its net worth since the election.” … Treasury Sec Scott Bessent announced the US is going to bail out Trump’s friend Javier Milei: “Argentina is a systemically important US ally in Latin America, and the US Treasury stands ready to do what is needed within its mandate to support Argentina. All options for stabilization are on the table. These options may include, but are not limited to, swap lines, direct currency purchases, and purchases of US dollar-denominated govt debt from Treasury’s Exchange Stabilization Fund.” … “Opportunities for private investment remain expansive, and Argentina will be Great Again. We remain confident that President Milei’s support for fiscal discipline and pro-growth reforms are necessary.” … The Kobeissi Letter: “What is happening in Argentina? In 24 hours, Argentina's stock market COLLAPSED -10%, with the Argentine Peso now down -99% in 10 years. Today, the Trump Admin offered a ‘lifeline’ to Argentina, sending stocks surging +8%.” … Sherwood News: “Lending Argentina US taxpayer money seems like a bad idea. The country has defaulted on foreign loans 9 times, giving it one of the world’s worst credit histories. In fact, it’s defaulted 3 times since 2000, including 2019, after the last attempt to reform the country lured in foreign lenders.” … It is also one month before Argentina’s midterm elections, when Milei’s party was expected to take a beating. It looked like the Trump admin is going to do everything they can to tamper with their election. Lots of late breaking news today so I did my very best to keep up with everything and still get it out on time. Apologies if I missed something. If you missed yesterday’s Bulletin you can find it here. Our one-year anniversary on Substack is coming up this Friday. Thank you so much to the (almost) 800,000 people who have subscribed in that short of a period of time. Without your support we would not be about to do this, and we all do our best each day to make your subscription worthwhile. Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. … Rep. Nancy Mace continues her war against fellow Republican Cory Mills after he cast the deciding vote to kill her motion to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar: “Cory Mills is now ‘blowing’ me up over text. He even sent a photo saying he was injured in a blast showing blood on his pants. The blood, however, is of another soldier who was actually blown up (‘allegedly’). Totally stolen valor. This guy definitely has a screw loose and shouldn't be on Foreign Affairs or the House Armed Services Committee.” … Mace later posted this, one of many against Mills: “Someone needs to ask Cory Mills WHO actually physically signed his DA Form 638 for the Bronze Star and then he needs to produce it. The signature. Also don’t redact the date. Show us.” … The Hill: “Pete Hegseth’s campaign to oust service members celebrating or mocking the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk online has already seen at least 8 people suspended or placed under investigation, with legal experts warning of a chilling effect on free speech. The disciplinary actions — including suspensions of at least 5 Army officers and an AF senior master sergeant, a Marine officer, and an Army Reserve major, comes after Hegseth last week ordered staff to actively search for anyone working for DOD who condoned or made fun of Kirk’s death.” … “But while the Uniform Code of Military Justice limits what troops can say publicly — to include using contemptuous words against the commander-in-chief and other govt officials — service members still have First Amendment rights under the Constitution. This means there are legal roadblocks to the Pentagon’s authority to punish troops for any alleged comments about Kirk.” … Don Christensen, a retired AF colonel who previously served as a military judge and the AF’s chief prosecutor: “You can’t just prosecute people on a whim without some sort of notice that what they would be doing would be considered criminal.” … Newsweek: “On Friday, the WH announced that applications for H-1B visas—which allow US employers to temporarily hire foreign workers in specialized fields—must now be accompanied by a $100,000 payment to ‘curb abuses that displace US workers and undermine national security.’ Some 71% of H-1B recipients come from India, followed by China at 12%.” … Employees entering the country through the visa program primarily support specialized sectors such as IT, software development and engineering. The largest H-1B employers in the US as of late June were Amazon, with over 10,000 approved beneficiaries, followed by the Indian multinational Tata Consultancy Services, Microsoft, Meta, Apple and Google.” … Reuters: “India's $283 billion information technology sector will have to overhaul its decades-old strategy of rotating skilled talent into US projects following Trump's move to impose a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visas. Trump's move to reshape the H-1B program will force IT firms with clients such as Apple, Walmart, Microsoft, Meta and Google to pause onshore rotations. Most industry watchers expect Trump's move to constrain client-facing roles, hurting IT deal conversion and extending the time taken to scale up tech projects.” … Immigration policy analyst Gil Guerra to BBC: "Since the latest WH directive indicates that the fee would only apply to new H-1B recipients, this is more likely to cause medium and long-term labor shortages instead of immediate disruption." … Former CEO of an Indian IT firm C.P. Gurnani to Bloomberg: "There is a shortage of STEM-skilled talent in the US, and when we send people on H-1B, we are only helping America. And we are making American companies more competitive." … Apex News: “China is set to launch a new K visa on Oct 1, targeting young foreign talent in STEM fields. Unlike the restrictive and costly US H-1B system, the K visa removes hurdles such as no local job required, easier re-entry, and flexible stays. Beijing hopes this move will boost its global appeal and advance its goal of becoming a tech superpower by 2035.” … House Dem Leader Hakeem Jeffries on CNN: Q - “62% of Democrats want to see the leadership of your party replaced. Do these sorts of polls make you rethink your approach at all? Jeffries: What I will say is that in special election after special election, we keep winning all over the country.” … CBS reporter Scott Macfarlane: “The Architect of the US Capitol has 9 days remaining to respond to a federal civil lawsuit by Jan 6 police responders, who are seeing a court order to hang the J6 honor plaque at the Capitol.” … A federal statute was passed by Congress overwhelmingly and signed into law long ago by Joe Biden to hang the plaque on the wall inside the Capitol. Mike Johnson refuses to hang it up and is simply ignoring the law. … NPR on why beef prices are so high: “In July, the US Dept of Agriculture continued to record a shrinking number of US cattle and calves, forecasting that beef production would decline 4% over this year and another 2% in 2026. Meanwhile, foreign imports are also down. Brazilian beef faces a 76% tariff. Fears about the screwworm parasite have led the USDA to block livestock from crossing from Mexico to the US.” … 3rd generation Utah cattle rancher Brady Blackett: "We've kind of hit this perfect storm. There's healthy competition for the cattle, and there's not enough of them to fulfill the demand. And so it has driven prices to historic highs." … Restaurant owner Paul Urban: "Sometimes I look at our menu and I'm like, 'Oh my God, we're charging that much for a burger?' But it's what you've got to do to stay in business. And it's affected us at home as well. I love a good steak, but I'm not paying $19 a pound for a ribeye." … “Skeeter Miller, who runs the BBQ chain County Line, says he's paying nearly double the price for hamburger meat than he did a few months ago. He says higher prices have started to drive away some diners, with visits down about 5% across his six locations in TX and NM. Brisket has jumped in cost, too, forcing him to consider the unfathomable: "Am I just going to put a note on the menu that says, 'Hey, brisket has gotten so expensive, I'm sorry, but I'm going to hold off on cooking brisket until the price comes back down'?" … Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA): “First Putin sends many drones to Poland then 3 warplanes to Estonia. He’s testing us by escalating. I expect strong response from NATO at Tues meeting. With all the missiles and drones Putin is unleashing by the thousand each night, soon Ukraine WILL BE LOOKING LIKE GAZA EVERY THING IS RUBBLE. Graham/Blumenthal has 85 sponsors. ITS TIME FOR USA TO TAKE FORCEFUL ACTIONS.” … As usual, he doesn’t mention Trump. … Polish PM Donald Tusk said he isn’t going to check with Trump or NATO before he acts to protect his country: “I want to be very clear. We will make a decision to shoot down flying objects without discussion when they violate our territory and fly over Poland. There is no room for debate here.” … Another letter from prison from disgraced former Republican Rep. George Santos has been published by the South Shore Press: “My anxiety attacks have only intensified. I’ve submitted multiple medical-request forms for chest pain, for vomiting, and for hyperventilation—forms that gathered ink and dust while no one came to see me. Requests that should have prompted care were met with silence. In this place, it sometimes feels as if basic humanity is discretionary.” … “I am asking to be treated as a person — with attention, with dignity, and with the care any human being deserves when they are in distress. I’ve been stripped of almost everything that helped me weather this difficult chapter. Phone calls with loved ones have been cut off. Emails to family and friends have been blocked. Visits — the rare, sacred windows when a person can feel human again — have been taken away, twice a month and on holidays, as if punishment were the same as protection.” … “I renew my plea to President Trump: intervene. Help me escape this daily torment and let me return to my family. I am a son, a sibling, a partner, a man whose life matters to those who love him. If there is any decency left in the offices that oversee places like FCI Fairton, let that decency move now.” … New story in NY Magazine on why Trump decided not to pick Kristi Noem as a running mate: “Noem’s chances of the securing the #2 spot were ultimately buried by the publication of her second memoir, in which she told the unfortunate story of shooting a disobedient puppy named Cricket on the family farm. Trump told Don Jr: ‘That’s not good at all. Even you wouldn’t kill a dog, and you kill everything.’”