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Today in Politics, Bulletin 428. 7/28/26

Ron Filipkowski Jul 28 ∙

… Mike Johnson said he is very confident about Republican chances in the midterms because he’s formed a prayer group for it and is certain that God wants them to win: “This is a God thing. We have intercessory prayers who are on the ground at the Capitol praying each of these things through. More and more people are understanding there must be something do this.”

… Trump was on Fox & Friends this morning:

• Q - “Are you worried the tariffs you put forward over the last couple days will hurt the economy? Trump: No, because it’s bringing in hundreds of billions of dollars.”

… That’s exactly why they are hurting the economy.

• Q - “We hear that you’re talking with leaders from Iran. But Iran has come out publicly and said ‘we’re not talking to the US’. Trump: Well, they just came out and said we are talking. Q - So could you tell me who you’re talking to? Trump: We’ve had some very good talks.”

… He never said who he was supposedly talking to.

• “It’ll take them many years to ever rebuild, and if I go back and finish up the job as some people would like with the bridges - it takes them 10 years to build a bridge. They know I’m going to do that if they don’t make a deal. The bridges are going to be gone. Literally, in less than 2 hours, most of the major bridges will all be gone—and the power plants, in one day.”

• On Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain: “We have the greatest cameras in the world focused on it. I know exactly what’s going on at Pickaxe, it’s not a big problem. We took out their nuclear sites, and we’ll have to take out Pickaxe if we don’t make a deal. If we don’t make a deal, we’ll take it out very easily.”

… He supposedly already took it out a year ago.

• Q - There are reports that Netanyahu will brief you on Iranian activity at Pickaxe Mountain: “I don’t need Bibi to tell me that. Bibi is telling me that because he wants me to stay involved. I heard Bibi announce that, I said ‘why don’t you just tell it to me? Why do you have to announce it to the world?’ I know exactly what’s going on.”

• “I stopped 8 wars, I would say 5 of them because of tariffs. The threat of tariffs stopped India and Pakistan from going into a nuclear war.”

… Yes, the first nuclear war in history between two countries with nukes would have already happened if it wasn’t for Trump threatening tariffs on Truth Social and a billion people would be dead. Right.

… Trump had meetings with both Zelenskyy and Netayahu today in the Oval Office. Netanyahu posted this:

… Steve Bannon: “I think all of Trump’s most ardent non-‘Israel First’ supporters are furious. Netanyahu has had twice as many visits to the WH in 18 months as Winston Churchill had in all of World War II - with every one of them a disaster for America.”

… Politico: “Many of the president’s anti-interventionist allies had hoped the latest ceasefire attempt would lead to a permanent end to the conflict. Instead, they’re grappling with the possibility that Netanyahu, who is visiting the US for the 7th time since Trump took office last year, may instead push the president into a new, more durable phase of war that could leave the US embroiled in conflict in the Middle East for months, if not years.”

… Zelenskyy posted: “A good meeting with President Trump at the Oval Office. The President and I discussed licenses for Patriot interceptor production and several other ideas that could help. We also spoke about diplomacy – it’s important that the diplomatic process be reinvigorated. Our teams will arrange the details of their further communication. I am grateful to the US for its firm support.”

… The WH sent JD Vance over to the Capitol Rotunda for Lindsey Graham’s service while Trump was meeting with Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. Probably a wise move.

… Later in the afternoon, Trump and his cabinet attended Lindsey’s funeral. Sean Hannity gave the eulogy: “Lindsey probably has a heavenly version of Mar a Lago. It may even be a little bigger. He may have a little more gold in the Oval Office in his mansion in heaven. And I wouldn’t be surprised if he added one big beautiful ballroom and an arch somewhere on the property. because you would wanna obviously duplicate his dearest friend in life, you, Mr. President.”

… Really shocking that Lindsey’s memorial service turned into a tribute to Donald Trump.

… Trump also attempted to put a TicTac in his mouth but he missed his mouth and dropped it on the floor. He made it on the second attempt.

… Naturally, he left the first one on the floor for someone else to pick up later.

… As soon as the next speaker started talking about Lindsey and not Trump, he promptly fell asleep in public again in the middle of the day.

… CNN’s Kaitlan Collins was asked about the WH Correspondents’ Dinner on the Daily Show. Jon Stewart: “Was he bombing as hard as it appeared on TV? Collins: What was most surprising to me was that the room was filled with a lot of his staffers, his cabinet, his allies, and Republicans in Congress. It was so quiet in the room during the president’s remarks.”

… On Trump’s frequent personal attacks on her: “It’s really not about me, and I don’t want it to be about my reaction. In those moments it’s important to put the reminder back on the work, on the question, and on the non-answers that we get.”

… Axios: “KY Gov. Andy Beshear demanded that Sen. Mitch McConnell verbally address constituents and demonstrate his ability to serve or resign his seat in a blunt letter sent to the senator and his staff. Beshear said in the letter that it was also being sent to John Thune, whom Beshear urged to investigate McConnell’s capacity to serve:

…. Beshear: “I understand anyone’s desire for privacy, but when you run for office and serve as one of a state’s two US senators, you willingly abdicate much of your personal privacy. That’s the deal, and we all know it when we run. All of this speculation and even this letter could have been avoided with a minimal amount of transparency. Kentuckians are just asking you to be honest.”

… Beshear to Bloomberg: “There’s an argument out there that Aug 3 is a date where I could not later call a special election. Those that are really pushing this I think are under the impression that a Democrat in KY might be able to win that election. It’s been since 1992 that we had a Democratic senator in KY.”

… “You mentioned a lot of missed votes. I want to point out some other missed votes that might not be a bad thing. McConnell hasn’t been there to vote on the SAVE Act, which would tear voting rights away. He hasn’t been there to vote to support this war on Iran that this president started and shouldn’t be continuing. Not having Mitch McConnell show up isn’t necessarily a bad thing because he certainly doesn’t show up to help the American people.”

… Stephen Miller on Fox: “AOC, Bernie, Omar—these are people who, even 10-15 years ago, would have been relegated to the outermost fringes. They are now the heart of the party. The Democrats have become the party of freaks, weirdos, losers, and crazies. But you can't laugh it off because it's deadly serious. When you give these people power, everything you know and love in this world falls apart. You have chaos, corruption, decay, violence, poverty.”

… Stephen Miller calling someone else a freak and weirdo. Almost like Trump making jokes about people’s weight.

… Punchbowl: “The vote on Acting AG Todd Blanche’s confirmation is coming down to the wire. Just 48 hours before a key Senate Judiciary Committee vote on Blanche’s nomination for the permanent AG job, GOP Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis are holding firm on their conditions for backing Blanche - and indicating there’s been little movement toward a deal that would unlock their support.”

… “Both senators, whose votes are needed for Blanche to advance to the Senate floor, are demanding that DOJ formally eliminate the ‘anti-weaponization’ fund and curtail an IRS audit immunity deal for Trump. Cornyn said that DOJ has ‘not sufficiently’ addressed his concerns but noted they’re ‘still talking.’”

… Cornyn: “We just need for the documents to conform to what Blanche’s testimony was at the hearing, where he said the weaponization fund was dead and he said that the immunity from future audits does not extend to people beyond the parties to the lawsuit.”

… Cornyn posted: “Fake news alert: there is no ‘deal’ on Blanche nomination. They know what they have to do.”

… Laura Weiss with Punchbowl: “The standoff between Todd Blanche and Judiciary Republican swing votes is really coming down to the wire. Cornyn and Tillis want DOJ to formally kill anti-weaponization fund and restrict Trump’s audit immunity deal before they advance him in committee. Vote is scheduled for Thursday.”

… MS NOW: “Last week, former DOJ lawyer Liz Oyer testified in the Senate against the confirmation of Todd Blanche as AG. Then came the death threats. Oyer oversaw the DOJ’s pardon office before Trump ousted her last year and promptly turned the office into a tool to help out his donors and political allies. She has said she was fired for refusing to restore actor Mel Gibson’s gun rights after his 2011 conviction for domestic violence.”

… “And she was a key witness urging senators to vote against confirming Blanche, who has already sought as acting AG to quash further inquiry into the Epstein files and drew criticism over his softball interview with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. And it seems Republicans are now fueling attacks against Oyer as they try to make Blanche the nation’s top law enforcement official.”

… “Oyer attributed the threats to dubious accusations - peddled by Missouri’s Republican senators, Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt, and in conservative media - that she was basically an ally to rapists and murderers. At the Senate hearing, the two senators homed in on Joe Biden’s decision to commute most federal death sentences.”

… “Oyer explained that her recommendation to reassess the cases of all 40 inmates on federal death row, 37 of whom Biden spared from execution, was in keeping with the admin’s broad opposition to capital punishment. She also dispelled misinformation that commuted inmates will be ever be released from prison.”

… John Thune infuriated the MAGA people with this statement on Fox today on nuking the filibuster to pass the SAVE Act: “I’ve had this conversation with the president many times. The votes are not there to do it. I know he thinks he can persuade people, but this is a hard position for a lot of Senate Republicans.”

… There are reportedly at least 15 Republican senators who will not vote to repeal the filibuster rule under any circumstances.

Reminder there is no Bulletin tomorrow because I do my weekly podcast Uncovered where we do a deep dive into the top stories of the week and try to bring interesting takes to each topic that were not widely known or reported.

Going to also visit some small town bookstores in the morning to try to add a few old used classics to my literature collection. For 30 years I read nothing but non-fiction - almost all history and biographies. Now I read nothing but fiction. I guess I get enough of the real world most days now.

Thank you to everyone who reads, shares and subscribes. Late next week we are going to get under 90 days until the midterms and this is the time when information, organizing, and mobilizing is very important. I pride myself on covering elections well and these are the times when it is my Super Bowl.

If you missed yesterday’s Bulletin, you can find it here.

Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

… The Times (UK): “FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino is planning to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors under a scheme that could potentially earn him tens of millions of pounds. Investor discussions held with figures close to the Trump admin. FIFA has now confirmed to The Times this Infantino plan is under discussion with Josh Kushner as proposed lead investor.”

… Josh is Jared Kushner’s brother.

… UEFA statement: “This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross. UEFA takes it extremely seriously. So should every National Football Assn. So should every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, supporters, govts and everyone who cares about the future of the game. The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade - especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA’s to sell.”

… House Judiciary ranking member Jamie Raskin sent a letter to Infantino demanding a list of gifts to Trump, communications about DOJ cases and ticket prices, and visitor logs to FIFA’s Miami and Trump Tower offices. Raskin says that the DOJ during Trump admin dropped multiple corruption charges against FIFA officials in exchange for financial benefits to Trump personally.

… A federal magistrate judge in Florida has ordered the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust to begin producing financial documents sought by the BBC in Trump’s sprawling defamation lawsuit, rejecting arguments that the subpoena was improper or overly burdensome.

… The ruling comes after Trump dramatically increased his claimed damages in the lawsuit from $5 billion to approximately $10 billion, alleging that a BBC documentary caused catastrophic harm to the value of his “brand, properties, and businesses.” That claim ultimately became the key reason the court sided with the broadcaster.

… US Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué A. Lett made clear that Trump cannot seek extraordinary damages while simultaneously shielding the financial info necessary to test those claims: “As currently pled, Plaintiff’s damages are at issue.”

… Judge Lett found that because Trump himself placed the value of his businesses and brand at the center of the case, the judge concluded that the requested financial information is relevant and proportional to the litigation.

… Bill Pulte: “Good News! We are, this morning, Executing a 5th and Near Final Round of TERMINATIONS, an approximately 30% Staff Reduction from Weeks Ago. The Intelligence Community must protect the American people, NOT the political whims of the bloated and corrupt elite class.”

… Kyle Cheney with MS NOW: “Trump loyalist Bill Pulte, the unqualified acting DNI, just announced a 5th round of layoffs at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence - hours before his (also unqualified) replacement is likely confirmed by the Senate.”

… NBC: “A key grand jury witness in a case against a former Olympic canoeist accused of tampering with the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool testified that the area was already damaged and would have required repairs regardless. David Hearn was indicted this month and accused of damaging the liner of the pool. Hearn previously told NBC that ‘the condition of the Reflecting Pool was the same after I stepped away from the water as it was before I got there.’”

… “The witness, who is not identified, was the only person who testified about damages, and said that the property had already been damaged before, authorities say, Hearn stuck his hands in the water, according to Hearn’s team. He was charged with destruction of property and accused of doing more than $1,000 worth of damage to the pool.”

… “Hearn’s team questioned whether there is enough evidence to show he caused more than $1,000 in damage to the pool, the threshold necessary to charge him with a more serious crime. The witness’ testimony, according to Hearn’s lawyers, ‘established that the pool had substantial preexisting damage requiring repair before any alleged conduct by Hearn.’”

… Politico: “The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee announced it is spending $40 million on organizing, research and voter contact across 10 states as the party looks to take back control of the upper chamber. The effort, branded as ‘Win The Senate’, includes 7 states where Democrats are on offense - ME, NC, OH, AK, TX, IA and FL - along with 3 where the party is playing defense - GA, MI and NH.”

… “The funds aren’t going toward expensive ad buys, but instead on-the-ground staff, new offices, volunteer programs and outreach to groups including Latino, Black and Alaska Native voters. The organizing and infrastructure investments could help counter a potential flood of GOP super PAC cash that many Democrats expect to come later in the fall.”

… Kamala Harris email going out soon in support of Troy Jackson: “I know what it is like to step up to the plate with a short runway to Election Day. Troy will have just 101 days between his nomination for Senate and when voters in Maine will cast their ballots. It will not be easy. It will take a massive grassroots team coming together. But I know this team can take this on. Troy is stepping up for us, so we need to step up for him. I am happy to offer my support, and I hope you will do the same.”

… Harris got the most votes of any presidential candidate in history in Maine, and she never endorsed Platner.

… Troy Jackson on MS NOW: “People wanted people to stand up for them. They’ve always wanted that. That’s what I want. Trump made an argument that he was going to do that, but now it’s buyer remorse across the state. The tariffs are killing businesses, we’ve lost healthcare because of the Big Beautiful Bill.”

… I really wish Democrats would stop using Trump’s name for their budget bill. Just a pet peeve of mine. Not all do it, but many do.

… NOTUS: “Democratic strategist Morris Katz’s public mea culpa last week for his role in promoting and protecting Graham Platner didn’t sit well with at least one person familiar with the inner workings of the former candidate’s political operation.”

… Platner’s political director Genevieve McDonald, who quit last Oct when the controversies first broke, on Katz: “I don’t believe him. I mean, consultants shouldn’t have main character energy. We have lost the plot when consultants are doing PR tours for themselves, for their own redemption, and that is what this felt like.”

… “She said Katz’s admission that he misjudged the situation is an effort to protect his career rather than a genuine admission of wrongdoing, and another chance for him to build out a political status that she thinks has a tendency to overshadow his actual political clients.”

… McDonald: “We’ve gotten to a point where it seems as though I’ve read as much about Morris Katz as I have about the candidates that he works for. I do think the process was irresponsible. It appears Fight Agency and Daniel Moraff were so eager to launch him and push out any potential competitors in the primary that they did not do their due diligence.”

… CBS: “Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said the Trump admin’s plan to ramp up arrests and deportations of Haitian migrants is a ‘mistake,’ arguing the move could bruise the state’s economy and risk putting Haitians in danger in their home country. More than 300,000 people from Haiti are set this week to lose Temporary Protected Status after the Supreme Court upheld the Trump admin’s plan to end the policy for Haitians.”

… “ICE has drawn up plans to launch a deportation blitz focused on Haitian migrants as early as this week. The operations could focus in part on the thousands of Haitians who live in OH, many of whom have settled in the city of Springfield in recent years. During the 2024 campaign, Trump claimed, without evidence, that Haitian immigrants in the city were eating cats and dogs.”

… DeWine said the planned deportation operations would be “a blow to Springfield and a blow to the state of OH. These are people who have helped Springfield really come back. The Haitians who are living there and employed there, they came there to work, and they came there because there were jobs that were not being filled by other people.”

… “DeWine also pointed to the dire security situation in Haiti, a deeply impoverished country that has dealt with years of political instability, with gangs controlling large swaths of territory. The country is mired in ‘virtual chaos,’ the governor said, with ‘no semblance of govt,’ leading the State Dept to warn Americans not to travel there.”

… Puck: “Sen. Tim Scott has developed a reputation for running the Senate’s most dysfunctional offices—consumed by high turnover, internal rivalries, and a string of political missteps. As his portfolio has expanded, so has the scrutiny. Sen. Scott holds ‘pruning’ meetings where he reminds staff they are replaceable. He has staff openly compete for jobs, which he thinks is part of the interview process but aides say pitts people against each other.”

… “Scott has gone through 3 Banking Committee staff directors in 18 months, 20 Banking Committee staff have left during his short tenure. He's had 3 chiefs of staff in less than 3 years, and 5 comms directors in 5 years.”

… Semafor: “Fewer Americans than ever approve of the job the Supreme Court is doing, according to new Gallup polling, a decline driven by a drop in Republicans’ approval over the last year. One-third of US adults approve of the job the high court is doing, down from 39% last year, while a record high of 61% disapprove.”

… 58% of Republicans approve of the court, according to the poll, which was taken after the conclusion of the latest term. That’s down from the near-record 79% who approved of the court last September. The court’s recent rulings against Trump’s tariffs and his birthright citizenship order may have contributed to that softening in approval.”

… Post and Courier (SC): “The Pentagon is taking steps to rename Joint Base Charleston after Air Force veteran Lindsey Graham. Secretary of the AF Troy Meink ordered staff to begin work with Air Mobility Command and Joint Base Charleston leadership to take ‘all necessary and appropriate actions’ to begin converting the name of the crucial East Coast air base to Joint Base Lindsey Graham.”

… Pete Hegseth just personally awarded something called the ‘Mexican Border Defense Medal’ to service members at the Pentagon.

… Veteran’s advocate and congressional candidate, Fred Wellman: “I need you to understand how patently stupid this is. This is what we colloquially call an ‘I was there’ award. Service medals are not given in a ceremony on a neck ribbon EVER. Rarely in a ceremony at all. I’ve got stacks of them for Korea, Desert Shield, Hurricane Hugo, Iraq, and more.”

… “90% of the time they show up on your records and you might get a physical medal handed to you at the office. These aren’t combat awards. Certainly not with a neck ribbon like the Medal of Honor! How much money was wasted on this ridiculous ceremony for propaganda?”

… Politico: “Gabriel Perez, the WH staffer who allegedly used his advanced knowledge of Trump’s speeches to place bets on the prediction market Kalshi, no longer works for the federal govt, a WH official said Tuesday. WH spokesperson Davis Ingle declined to answer questions about whether Perez was fired.”

… “The change in employment status comes less than two weeks after ABC News reported that Perez was in talks with the CFTC to settle allegations that he used his knowledge of Trump’s speeches to win more than $100,000 on Kalshi. Perez allegedly placed wagers on whether Trump would say specific words or phrases during speeches and events.”

… “Reuters reported earlier this month that Perez is under CFTC investigation for potential insider trading.”

… Perez has been with Trump since 2016 as his Teleprompter operator. I guess he figured everyone else in this admin including his boss was grifting and scamming like crazy so he had to find a way to get a piece of the action.

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This Weekend in Politics, Bulletin 426.

Ron Filipkowski Jul 26

…NYT: “The war between the US and Iran remained on pause for a second straight day on Sunday, while the Iranian Foreign Ministry said that there had been some movement in talks between Tehran and mediators over the Strait of Hormuz. No US strikes on Iran have been reported since Friday, while Iran has similarly held off attacking American allies around the Middle East after about two weeks of skirmishes brought the two countries back to the brink of full-blown war.”

… “Trump decided last week to put off plans to escalate the US assault on Iran, at least for now. Trump and his aides were motivated in part by dwindling stockpiles of interceptors to shoot down Iranian missiles. Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has cautioned privately that resuming major combat operations against Iran was doable but that it would dangerously deplete interceptors available to the military’s Central Command.”

… “Trump has been wrestling with how to proceed in his nearly 5-month war against Iran and specifically with how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as gas prices climb again amid the resumption of hostilities over the past two weeks. Diplomacy has broken down, and the latest round of extensive US attacks do not seem to have deterred Iran militarily.”

… “Few if any in Trump’s inner circle believed the plan to escalate was wise. One senior US official expressed doubts that resuming major combat operations would drive Iran back to the bargaining table.”

… WaPo: “Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for attacks on Saudi oil facilities Saturday, in the first such strikes since 2022. In a video statement, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the group fired ballistic missiles and drones at facilities belonging to the state oil company, Aramco, in the Red Sea towns of Yanbu and Jazan.”

… “It was not immediately clear how substantial the damage was or how oil output would be affected. NASA’s fire monitoring platform FIRMS reported several thermal anomalies at the Jazan refinery. The facility can refine up to 400,000 barrels of oil a day, according to the company’s website. The strikes by Houthi rebels could add to pressures on global oil markets on top of disruptions caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.”

… Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) on NBC: "The president got into this without a strategic goal. At first this was about regime change, then it became about nuclear weapons, then about ballistic missiles, then about the navy. They're flailing."

… Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) on CBS: “I support the president in Iran. We all have to do a better job messaging. If we can stand the pain of the rising cost of energy, we need to stay the course—at least for a few more months.”

… Iran expert Danny Citrinowicz: “The US admin is at a strategic crossroads vis-à-vis Iran. The issue of interceptors is certainly a significant constraint, especially given the vulnerabilities recorded in the current round, but the problem is far broader and primarily concerns the absence of a clear strategy regarding how to influence the conduct of the regime in Tehran. Continuing to employ the same set of tools is not expected to alter Iran’s patterns of action.”

… “At the same time, there appears to be a certain shortage in the interceptor stockpile, with the scale of Iranian strikes in the current round reinforcing the assessment that the US is managing its munitions resources cautiously and cannot treat stockpiles as an unlimited resource.”

… “In the end, the American dilemma remains unchanged: there is currently no good option. Returning to an agreement risks strengthening the Iranian regime and granting it economic breathing room, while escalating the war could lead to broad escalation without ensuring an improvement in the bargaining position vis-à-vis Tehran. The central question is not how to apply more force, but how to define an achievable strategic objective.”

… President Zelenskyy: “I will instruct our intelligence to share with our partners the info we have regarding Russia’s new assistance to the Iranian regime. Since the beginning of July, we have recorded active Russian satellite surveillance of the Gulf states and US military facilities located there. These images subsequently appear in Iran. At the same time, there is a clear correlation between Russia’s satellite imagery of these sites and Iranian strikes – both before the attacks, in preparation for them, and afterward, to assess the damage inflicted.”

… “On July 19 and 20 alone, 4 air bases fell within the area of interest of Russian satellites – two in Bahrain, one in Jordan, and one in Kuwait. The purpose is clear. None of us in the world should turn a blind eye to one very simple fact: evil always seeks ways to make things worse and spread further. Russia must be stopped. This war must be stopped. Pressure on the aggressor must work.”

… This is what Trump said on Friday in the Oval Office about this subject: Q - “You said today Russia and China are not helping. Earlier this week, Pete Hegseth said they are enabling. Trump: President XI said he’ll not partake, and President Putin said the same thing. I trust them. I don’t think they would want to have me disappointed.”

… Russia is helping Iran kill US troops. But Trump said Putin told him that he wasn’t. US and Ukraine intelligence proves that he is. Trump says he believes Putin. Where have we heard this before?

… UN Ambassador Mike Waltz on Meet the Press:

• Q - “Zelenskyy says this month Ukraine has recorded active Russian satellite surveillance of US military installations and those images then appear in Iran. How deep is the Russian involvement in helping Iran kill Americans? Waltz: I’ll just let the president’s statement stand on its own that he’s spoken to Putin and Xi about this and has put both on notice. Q - But this suggests they haven’t stopped assisting. Waltz: Okay.”

• Q - “Is America backing away from a larger military attack because our stockpile has been depleted? Waltz: We have to take a step back here. A lot of our stockpiles were depleted because of Biden. Q - But you acknowledge they’re depleted? Waltz: No. And the people leaking this nonsense deserve to be in jail.”

… Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA): “Dear Mike Waltz: You lie. US provided zero THAAD missiles to Ukraine. US provided far less Patriots to Ukraine than the massive amount used in less than 5 months of the Iran war. Stop falsely blaming others and take responsibility for the disastrous Iran war.”

• Q - “Should the country brace for more American lives to be lost in this conflict? Waltz: Every man and woman who signs up to go serve knows of that eventually possibility.”

• Q - “Is the Saudi nuclear deal off or on? Waltz: The president was clear. The tenets of the deal are in place, but we are in discussions with the Saudis about normalizing with Israel. Q - The US did sign the deal though, right? Waltz: Well, Secretary Wright and the Saudi energy minister signed that, but it has to be implemented and the president has put an important condition on it.”

… Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-CT) on ABC: “It just shows you cannot rely on the US. You certainly can’t count on the Trump admin. They had signed a deal. What the Trump admin did was a bait and switch scheme.”

… This is very simple. The US govt signed a deal with the Saudis. Trump got backlash on Fox and from Republicans in Congress. Trump then immediately reneged on the deal. You can’t trust anything Trump says and you can’t trust anything he puts in writing either.

… Sen. John Kennedy on CBS: Q - “Are you comfortable with the Saudi Nuclear Deal? Kennedy: Nope. We’re bombing a country to keep them from getting a nuclear weapon, but we’re signing a deal with another country that the world perceives as possibly some day leading to a nuclear weapon.”

We make the entire Weekend Bulletin available to free subscribers where about the first third of the daily Bulletins during the week are available. Everyone is also able to participate in the comments section on this one. Tomorrow is also the Ask the Editor podcast where I choose 5 questions or topics from you in the comments to talk about. If you have one, please post it below.

Good turnout at the town fair with probably close to 1,000 people there. That’s a lot for our small town, but there were some tourists mixed in. Susan Collins marched in the little parade right by me. Jackson wasn’t there because he was in Bangor for the nominating convention. All I can say is he better be at the Maine Wild Blueberry Festival in two weeks!

If you missed Friday’s Bulletin, you can find it here.

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… WaPo: “Republican pollsters and political groups are raising the alarm that their party faces a listless and demotivated base ahead of Nov’s midterm elections. A raft of discouraging data from polling, door knocking and focus groups is unsettling Republicans as their party heads into a midterm election season that would be challenging no matter what, given Trump’s low standing in polls and the fact that the party in control in Washington almost always loses seats.”

… “The lack of enthusiasm is reaching deep into Republicans’ loyal base, spreading to the party’s most consistent voters - who have shown up to vote in all of the past 4 primaries and general elections, according to an analysis done by Americans for Prosperity Action, a super PAC founded by billionaire Charles Koch. This new issue with the base adds to the party’s more enduring problem of turning out less-frequent voters who support Trump but often skip midterm elections.”

… “About 1 in 5 reliable Republican base voters are at risk this Nov, according to Nathan Nascimento, executive director at AFP Action. Those voters in IA, OH, NC, MT, NH and MI are either saying they may stay home or are weighing voting for Democrats, based on their polling and extensive efforts to engage targeted Republican voters by knocking on their doors. The voters are primarily worried about inflation and the economy.”

… Nascimento: “This is a big chunk. This is a scary number.”

… House Minority Leader Hakeen Jeffries at a rally for the midterms today: “We're going to crack down on corrupt price gouging. We're going to clean up the mess at the Supreme Court. And we're going to ban the president, VP, and members of Congress from trading stocks.”

… “We have 100 days, America. 100 day to change direction in the United States before it's too late. 100 days to speak up, 100 days to show up, 100 days to stand up, to make our country the best version of herself.

… NYT: “The Democratic Party is so short on cash that leaders at its HQ have undertaken a new gambit to mask the severity of the problems: asking vendors not to send bills until after the midterm elections. The bookkeeping maneuver is the latest sign of financial duress for the DNC and its embattled leader as money troubles threaten to undercut Democratic momentum with 100 days until the midterms.”

… “So much is going politically right for Democrats these days. Trump’s approval is down, gas prices are up and an unpopular war with Iran drags on. But dysfunction and debt inside one of the party’s key institutions - which is getting crushed in fund-raising by its Republican counterpart - are creating rising anxiety for top Democrats.”

… “At the center is Chair Ken Martin, who has found himself increasingly isolated, gripped by the fear that he will lose his job and relying on a vanishingly small circle of people he trusts. Martin’s fraying nerves are showing. In a pique of frustration in early July, he threw his phone at the desk of a junior aide while upbraiding the person. The phone-tossing incident resulted in a formal complaint to the DNC’s human resources dept.”

… NOTUS: “The DNC put its physical headquarters up for collateral last year in order to obtain a $15 million line of credit to help invest in off-year elections, according to DC deed records. The building has been used as collateral in the past, including in other election cycles. That the DNC had to do so again ahead of the 2026 elections to obtain its biggest-ever off-year loan raised concerns among some members that it was further evidence of its intensifying financial strain.”

… One DNC member: “Ken gaslighting us about the DNC’s finances and not being transparent about the financial situation makes us doubt if he can oversee the DNC during the most important primary of our lifetime.”

… “The DNC is working toward two main goals: to help the party win back control of Congress in Nov, as well as gubernatorial and local elections across the country. And it’s also preparing for the 2028 presidential primary, which is expected to be wide open and have no clear front-runner.”

… “Those objectives have been complicated by the DNC’s current lack of money. Federal disclosures from June showed it only had about $16 million in its account and $18 million in debt. That’s a sobering amount of money compared to the RNC, which declared that it had $128 million in cash with no outstanding debts.”

… The good news is that the individual Democratic candidates are doing great with fundraising as well as the senate and house campaign committees. The bad news is that the DNC is in shambles, there’s really no excuse for it, and it needs to get fixed.

… WaPo: “Brazil has denied visas to two senior State Dept officials whom the Trump admin planned to dispatch on a mission to cast doubt on the fairness and integrity of the country’s electoral system before millions of Brazilians vote in a presidential election on Oct. 4, the Foreign Ministry said.”

… “A US State Dept delegation, including Trump political appointees Riley Barnes, an assistant secretary, and Samuel Samson, a deputy assistant secretary, had planned to depart in coming days. But Brazilian officials, apprised of the plans, denied the Americans permission to travel. The US officials applied for visas through the Brazilian consulate in Washington, saying they planned to hold ‘meetings with authorities involved in the electoral process’.”

… Karoline Leavitt was asked about the midterms on Fox: “I would remind the American people of who caused the affordability crisis in this country. It was Biden and Democrats. Trump took immediate action on day one to fix that. All these things will only get better if given two more years with a Republican congress.”

… We went from prices coming down “on Day 1” to “in Year 4.”

… Sen. John Fetterman made another one of his daily Fox appearances - this time on Lara Trump’s show:

• “I can't fully understand—I've seen polling—why I'm so popular with Republicans. I don't really understand that.”

… It’s a mystery!

• Lara: “I will say on behalf of many Republicans out there, we would love to have you as part of the Republican Party. Fetterman: My whole family is Republican and I think they love me. Maybe my dad who’s watching this will.”

… He then said he’s still not switching parties, but stay tuned.

… Fox commentator Tomi Lahren on JD Vance’s controversial appearance on Joe Rogan where he appeared to try to distance himself from Trump on Iran, Israel and other issues: “I'm a little perplexed at why he did that podcast and why in some ways he’s undermining the president. Fox analyst Marc Thiessen: He seems to be contradicting the president a lot lately. It’s not helpful.”

… Meidas economist Justin Wolfers: “For 9 out of the last 10 presidencies, if you’d said, ‘How much should we blame the president for what’s going on with the economy right now?’ I would have said that the president is just one factor among many. That’s what I would have said 9 out of 10 times. This is the 10th time.”

… “There’s literally no question about the cause of the current oil price spike. We decided to go to war in Iran on an open-ended, ill-defined mission, and we’re not quite sure what to do. The Iranians took over the Strait of Hormuz, and now the global economy is substantially fractured and global energy markets are in disarray. There’s no question about what caused that. We know that because we actually saw things get a little bit better in June during the ceasefire, but those happy days are behind us.”

… “There’s also no question that tariffs are a complete own goal. They’ve led to higher prices paid by Americans. And that, I think, explains why, if you look at the US compared to our peers in the G7, the US right now has higher inflation than any of them. We’re number one, but it’s not one of those good number ones.”

… “And let me just add: it really does hurt my heart because we know how not to screw things up. Any economics textbook, anyone who’s taken introductory economics, would know that there are large economic costs to going to war. They would know that starting a global trade war in a chaotic and incoherent fashion is all downside and no upside.”

… Epstein survivor Dani Bensky on Meidas: “You can’t say that you want to make sure sex offenders and sex traffickers are behind bars and then vote for him. Every vote for Todd Blanche is really a vote against survivors. If Thom Tillis wants to call, I’m happy to talk to him. We’ve been trying to get in touch.”

… A federal judge ordered Acting AG Todd Blanche to hand over the unredacted Epstein Files emails and documents for the court’s private review in MeidasTouch host Katie Phang’s lawsuit. US District Judge Emmet Sullivan directed DOJ to produce the unredacted records in camera (for the judge’s eyes only) by July 30, along with documentation backing up DOJ’s claims that the names and other info it blacked out are, in fact, the categories of people it says they are.

… Israeli TV N12 reports that Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with Trump in Washington on Tuesday, where Netanyahu is expected to present intelligence claiming Iran is “once again racing towards nuclear weapons and accelerating its actions.”

… Netanyahu on Fox: “I’m worried about the reasons that leading Democrats have said privately, one of them said it actually publicly, on why they joined the radical fringe. And the reason is that their family’s been harassed. You don’t want legislators taking their position because of personal intimidation. That’s bad.”

… I really don’t think that is the reason why many Democrats have changed their position on Israel over the past two years.

… Alleged serial sex trafficker and rapist Andrew Tate with another update: “I am in Special Housing Unit. My water faucet is broken. I am not allowed bottles of water in SHU. I have nothing clean to drink. My only water comes from the shower, warm and from a brown and filthy faucet. It has given me persistent stomach problems. The water I am drinking is not clean, I am an American. Innocent until proven guilty. But I am forced to drink poisoned water. Where are my rights?”

… Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) to Meidas: Q - “You want to see Barron Trump come before Congress and answer questions about his relationship with Andrew Tate? Ansari: I absolutely want to see Barron come before Congress and answer questions about this. There is reporting about this, and he should answer these questions.”

… “What is his relationship with Tate? What kind of communication have they had? What kinds of connections has Barron potentially made for Tate and his brother? Has he had any conversations with other WH officials about this? These are all really important questions to be asking.”

… “There’s also more reporting about Barron as it pertains to financial dealings and corruption. This is not the only issue that I think Barron needs to come before Congress for, but the Oversight Committee is really the place for him to answer questions.”

… “And I think it’s important to remember that Barron is an adult. He is somebody who is deeply involved in Trump’s orbit and the whole manosphere, and he has a lot of influence. So he needs to be held accountable if he has committed any wrongdoing.”

… Jessica Tarlov was asked by Meidas if there are any Republicans who may run for president in 2028 who scare the people at Fox: “Ossoff feels like a threat. I remember conversations about Wes Moore. It was during the NFL playoffs, and he was out tailgating, and they were like, ‘Oh, that’s a bro,’ because everything is viewed through the frame of masculinity—you know, whatever Jesse’s-through-a-straw version of masculinity is.”

… “The DSA co-chair Megan Romer was asked on Fox News Sunday if these DSA platform principles are accurate:

• Abolish the Senate? “True”

• Replace the presidency and Supreme Court as we know it? “Yep.”

• Abolish ICE? “Absolutely.”

• Abolish borders and give amnesty to anyone in the US illegally? “As a long term plan, yep.”

• Defund the Pentagon? “Absolutely.”

• Abolish prisons? “As part of a long term program, yeah.”

• Govt ownership of most large corporations? “Yes, absolutely.”

… Tom Homan on CNN:

• Q - “Have mistakes been made by ICE in these shooting incidents? Homan: I wouldn't say that mistakes were made. We'll see.”

• Q - “Do you know specifically what happened to the officers involved in the Texas and Maine shootings? Are they on admin leave? Homan: I don't know specifically. The policy would be to put them on admin leave. Q - But as border czar, you don't know for sure if they have been? Homan: No.”

• Q - "One of the ICE officers connected to the fatal shooting in Maine was accused of abuse by two ex-wives. Should someone with those issues be an ICE agent? Homan: No, if those are facts, I don't think he should have ever cleared vetting."

… Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) on CNN: “The CDC's website on vaccines has been a sticking point for you. When you pledged to support Dr. Schwartz, you said publicly it's a sign of good faith that the CDC agreed to modify their website. But at the very top of the CDC's vaccine page, it still says 'the claim vaccines do not cause autism is not an evidence-based claim.' Is that a good faith attempt to stop spreading misinformation? Cassidy: That is not.”

… Cassidy is the poster-boy for spineless Republicans in Congress. Good riddance.

… NYT’s Peter Baker on the WHCA dinner with Trump: “I have been a member of the WHCA almost continuously since the 1990s. Our mission is to defend the First Amendment rights of WH correspondents to report on the president without fear or favor. Unfortunately last night did not advance that cause. Time to rethink the dinner.”

… You think?

… Katy Perry: “I am deeply appalled and angry to see ‘Firework’ used on the WH TikTok account as a backing track for video footage of military strikes. I did not approve this, I was not asked, and I absolutely do not condone it. I wrote this song to be an anthem of hope, healing, and inner strength for people going through their darkest personal moments.

… “To see a message of self-worth and upliftment weaponized to soundtrack destruction and violence is a complete violation of everything my song stands for. My music is for bringing people together, not celebrating warfare.”

… Politico: “Democrats’ new Maine Senate nominee entered the general election with a very different focus than the man he’s replacing — one solely about Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Troy Jackson, a progressive 5th-generation logger from the northern woods of Allagash, spent almost the entirety of his 20-minute nomination acceptance speech on Sat afternoon hammering Collins, from her 1990s pledge to only serve two terms to her history of voting with Trump ‘96% of the time.’”

… “His approach is a welcome change for Democrats in Washington, who had complained that in the early days of Graham Platner’s general election campaign he spent too much time attacking both parties instead of remaining focused on attacking a Republican in a state that Kamala Harris won handily in 2024.”

… “While Platner spent plenty of airtime focused on contrasting his beliefs with Collins’, he dedicated significant energy to hitting the whole political establishment, including members of his own party. Even some of his attacks against Collins - after he’d already won the Democratic primary - came with needling of Democrats.”

… “Jackson believes in many of the same populist ideas that Platner did - he helped run both of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential bids in Maine. But they also come from very different backgrounds. Platner, a veteran and oyster farmer, was plucked from obscurity by NYC-based consultants who wanted an anti-establishment fighter ready to take on Washington. Jackon, meanwhile, has spent decades sparring with the establishment flank of his party from within the ranks of public service, culminating in his time as state Senate president, where he often butted heads with Gov. Janet Mills.”

… “But as Jackson takes over on the Senate ticket, it’s clear that where Platner relished in taking on his party, Jackson is eager to mend fences and is still at his core a true Democrat. That background as a long-running member of the party is informing his approach to the campaign against the electoral powerhouse that Collins has become.”

… NYT: “An investigation by NYT found that the president’s push to get the luxury aircraft quickly led to ballooning costs and trade-offs in safety features that potentially left Trump and others who travel with him on Air Force One vulnerable. Among the findings:

• Trump was personally engaged in making decisions about the retrofitting of the donated plane, giving the final approval on the features and security measures that would be included. They and others interviewed for this article described the sensitive info about the process and the plane on the condition of anonymity.

• Several key security and safety features on the Boeing planes that have been used for decades as AF One are not visible on the upgraded jet, including a lower-level exit for high-risk situations, additional backup power capacity and an advanced antimissile system. The planes currently being built to serve as the permanent presidential fleet are all set to have such features.

• The 747-8 plane was overhauled on a compressed timeline of just about 8 months. Experts said the jet would have needed several years for a full upgrade. Because the Qatari jet was being pushed into service so quickly, some WH officials initially expected it would only be used for domestic travel or to visit allied countries with US military bases.

• The govt spent hundreds of millions of dollars to purchase equipment needed to train pilots to fly the 747-8 plane so quickly, on top of the approximately $400 million cost of the upgrades that the admin has publicly acknowledged. The Pentagon has tried to mask the total price tag - including from Congress - by taking the funds from a classified budget for nuclear modernization.”