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Monday Afternoon News Updates — 2/16/26

Ben Meiselas and MeidasTouch Network Feb 16

By Ben Meiselas

This Presidents’ Day has not been a celebratory one for Donald Trump. Instead, it has marked a growing wave of resistance that reflects a broader crisis facing his presidency. As we get closer to his upcoming State of the Union address, the boycott of the event is expanding, and the message from lawmakers is becoming unmistakably clear.

Here at the MeidasTouch Network, we obtained an exclusive statement from Democratic Congressman Dr. Ami Bera that underscores the seriousness of this moment. In his letter, Dr. Bera wrote: “After watching President Trump run roughshod over the Constitution, display utter disregard for Congress, and openly engage in corruption as he and his family use the office to enrich themselves and tarnish this country that I love, I will not give him the dignity of having my presence at the State of the Union.”

This is not symbolic protest for its own sake. Members of Congress understand the significance of attending the State of the Union as an institutional obligation. Dr. Bera made that clear when he stated, “As a senior member of the House of Representatives, I feel an obligation to attend the state of the Union out of respect for the president as they outline their vision for the country. But this year, I feel different.”

His decision reflects a broader shift among Democrats who view Trump’s conduct as fundamentally incompatible with U.S. democracy. Dr. Bera warned that Trump will use the address as a spectacle rather than a governing moment. “Donald Trump is a troll,” he wrote. “As such, I expect him to use this annual event at our Nation’s Capitol — a building I hold sacred — to troll both my Democratic and Republican colleagues.”

We are also hearing from other members who are choosing not to attend. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has indicated she will not be present. More announcements are expected in the coming days.

In response, the MeidasTouch Network will be hosting counterprogramming during the address that features senators and representatives who are boycotting the speech. Stay tuned for more details.

While resistance grows domestically, the international picture is equally revealing. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered a stark reminder of the real-world consequences of democratic failure and broken security commitments. Reflecting on the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, under which Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal in exchange for security assurances, Zelensky said, “In the end, we don’t have those weapons and we don’t have security guarantees. Nobody saved our independence.”

He emphasized that Ukrainians have learned to be realistic after enduring loss and invasion. “They don’t live in a fantasy world,” Zelenskyy said. “They are realistic and they have lost a lot. Their families, their houses, their way of life.”

Zelenskyy made clear that territorial concessions cannot come before credible protections. “First, we want security guarantees,” he explained. “Second, we can talk about the compromise and stuff like that. This is how we see the priorities.”

The contrast between leadership grounded in responsibility and governance driven by grievance has become increasingly pronounced.

Here at home, Senator Jon Ossoff delivered a powerful Presidents’ Day address that resonated with many Americans who feel the country is at a crossroads. He spoke directly to the moral and institutional strain facing the republic. “Our nation is afflicted and in crisis,” Ossoff said. “A government transformed into a tool of one man’s vengeance and enrichment.”

He continued by warning of the dangers of political submission to false narratives. “Among today’s false prophets are the election deniers who indulge this president’s obsession with overturning the 2020 election,” Ossoff said. “They tell a lie so absurd and therefore so debasing to tell that the act of telling it prove the tellers total in humiliating submission.”

In other news, reporting suggests that the Epstein files are likely far larger than previously disclosed. Researchers examining communications believe there could be as much as 50 terabytes of material, with only a fraction produced publicly so far. If accurate, this would mean that millions of documents remain undisclosed. Meanwhile, the message from the Trump administration has been “case closed.” They insist there is nothing more to see, despite clear evidence to the contrary. The cover-up continues.

Meanwhile, policy decisions from the Trump regime continue to raise alarms. Reports indicate that the Pentagon may sever ties with AI company Anthropic that sought limits on the use of its technology for surveillance of Americans. A senior official acknowledged the move would be difficult to implement but suggested it was being pursued because the company resisted allowing its systems to be used for domestic spying.

We have also learned that the Department of Homeland Security sent Google, Meta, and other tech companies hundreds of subpoenas seeking names, emails, phone numbers, and other identifying data for social media accounts that criticize ICE or monitor its operations. Google, Meta, Reddit, and Discord reportedly complied with some of the subpoenas. It’s important to note that these were administrative subpoenas, meaning they were not signed by a judge, but rather provided directly from DHS.

We’re going to continue to follow all the news, so stay tuned for more. Tonight at 8p ET/5p PT, I will be going live with my brothers on YouTube for the latest MeidasTouch Podcast. Tune in if you can! If you have today off, I hope you have a chance to relax and recharge.

Back soon with more!

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