Today in Politics, Bulletin 405. 6/25/26

Jun 25

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… 5 major court decisions today - 4 from SCOTUS and 2 from the US District Courts. From SCOTUS Blog:

Wolford v. Lopez: “The Supreme Court on struck down a Hawaii law that makes it a crime for gun owners to bring their guns onto private property that is open to the public unless they have the property owner’s specific consent. By a vote of 6-3, the justices agreed with a group of Maui residents with concealed-carry permits that the law violates the 2nd Amend’s guarantee of the right to bear arms.”
Mullin v. Doe: “The Court cleared the way for the fed govt to remove protections for citizens of Haiti and Syria under a federal program that allows foreign citizens to stay in the US when the govt believes that it is not safe for them to return to their homes. By a vote of 6-3, the court ruled that the federal law creating the TPS program bars courts from reviewing the determinations by then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to end the TPS designations for those countries.”
Mullin v. Al Otro Lado: “The Court upheld the fed govt’s policy of systematically turning back asylum seekers before they can reach the US-Mexico border. By a vote of 6-3, the justices agreed with the Trump admin that the policy, which was adopted a decade ago as a response to a surge in the number of Haitian immigrants seeking asylum outside SD, does not violate a federal law that permits noncitizens to apply for asylum when they “arrive in the US.”
“The policy at the center of the case is known as ‘metering.’ Officials from the CBP implemented the policy by standing along the U.S. border with Mexico and turning back noncitizens without valid travel documents, including asylum seekers, before they could enter the US.
Monsanto Co. v. Durnell: The Court ruled that federal law shields pesticide manufacturers from state-level ‘failure-to-warn’ lawsuits regarding cancer risks. The Court determined that the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act preempts state laws that require warning labels different from those approved by the EPA.”
California v. Trump: Reuters: “A federal judge blocked implementation of Trump’s executive order aiming to tighten rules for mail-in voting, preventing it ‌from taking effect ahead of Nov elections. She said the president lacked any authority to direct the DHS to compile voter eligibility lists for each state to use and that the US Postal Service had no statutory authorization to adopt any binding regulations on mail-in voting.”
Phang v. Blanche: Meidas: “Big win for Katie Phang and for transparency on Epstein Files. In 44-page ruling, Judge Emmet Sullivan grants Phang’s motion for preliminary injunction, ordering the Trump admin to move forward on key transparency measures in the Epstein files case—including defending redactions, producing additional records, and publishing the disclosure log required by law.”

… Katie Phang to Meidas: “I have standing to be able to get Todd Blanche to comply with Judge Sullivan’s order, which is now telling him that on or before July 2nd, he either has to put up or shut up. He either has to bring forth unredacted files or show cause as to why he should not or cannot do so.”

… Economist Heather Long: “PCE Inflation jumped to 4.1% in May - That's the highest inflation in 3 years and it's due largely to the war in Iran impact. Core PCE inflation (excluding food and energy) rose to 3.4% - the highest since fall 2023. This is painful for the middle class and moderate income Americans.”

… NYT: “Trump has claimed he is raising so much money for his ballroom that he could use surplus funds to finance a 250-foot Triumphal Arch that he is commissioning in DC. And he has said that private donors will help foot the bill for other projects in his construction spree, perhaps the most expansive in the history of the presidency.”

… “Yet a NYT analysis shows there will be significant taxpayer expense associated with all of Trump’s building and renovation initiatives. The 18 major construction projects Trump has undertaken during his second term come with a potential cost of more than $1 billion.”

… Trump’s projects include: East Wing ballroom, Ballroom bunker and security center, Kennedy Center, DC’s fountains, National Garden of American Heroes, Lafayette Park, Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Gilding statues, Rose Garden, Triumphal Arch, Lincoln Memorial Promenade, East Potomac Golf Links, West Colonnade, Lincoln Bedroom, Palm Room, Treaty Room, Oval Office.

… NOTUS: “DC’s Dept of Energy and the Environment is investigating the deaths of 3 ducks found near the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as a wildlife rehab group plans daily checks on the birds dwelling in the algae-bloom-filled water. It remains unclear what killed the ducks - though bright green algae has infested the iconic landmark after Trump’s recent restoration project.”

… “City Wildlife, a nonprofit animal-rehabilitation center, collected the bodies of two dead ducks on Sunday found in a nearby pond at Constitution Gardens. Another dead duckling was seen floating dead in the Reflecting Pool, but its body was not recovered. The org conducted necropsies - the postmortem examination of an animal’s body - on the two recovered carcasses, but City Wildlife said it cannot comment on the cause of death for the waterfowl until it has the final results.”

… Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy spoke at the grand opening of the Freedom 250 fair in DC: “I think we have to give a big round of applause for our military band and singers. Way better than those libtards that canceled on us. So much better. Thank you guys. President Trump will make you famous.”

… CNN’s Aaron Blake: “In one sentence, Duffy both complains about the musical acts who canceled and completely legitimizes their stated reason for doing so.”

… Ret. AF Col. Moe Davis: “You all know Sean Duffy, who spent a lot of his official time on the public payroll driving around the country filming a documentary that was funded by many of the corporations he’s supposed to regulate. Tonight on the National Mall, he thanked the military band that performed at a 250th Anniversary Celebration and said they were ‘way better than those libtards that canceled on us.’”

… “Duffy’s youngest daughter Valentina has Downs Syndrome, yet he’s perfectly comfortable standing there and throwing out ‘libtard,’ a MAGA word used to degrade people, at a public event on the National Mall because that’s how debased, immoral, and vulgar the MAGA cult is.”

… Kash Patel’s girlfriend Alexis Wilkins performed the National Anthem, and responded to critics who said she only got the gig because of Kash: “Let’s just get a few things straight, because this is long overdue. I have been a country music artist for years now. I have had a successful career in both music and commentary/strategy. I was invited to sing this anthem on my own accord, as I have been many other places throughout my career.”

… “The Freedom 250 entire celebration is on a fundraising arm; neither UFC nor any National Mall celebrations are taxpayer funded. I’m no longer accepting false narratives and total sham accusations that diminish my hard work and earned accomplishments, so please expect this kind of response to continue.”

… Michael Scherer with The Atlantic: “Wilkins is wrong. The Dept of Interior has been transferring taxpayer money to the National Park Foundation to be used for Freedom 250 events. The 4th fireworks are being funded by the National Park Service.”

… Former Marge Greene staffer Milo Yiannopolous: “This was an opportunity to prove her critics wrong with a little wow factor, but I’m afraid to say the performance is dull as ditchwater. The scooping is annoying and wrong for the song. She struggled to get anything out at the lower end and yet didn’t have the balls to belt up high. Too concerned with how she looks, Alexis is at times horribly out of step with the band and her facial expressions telegraph pain, not patriotism.”

… “The vibrato is too slow and her passagio needs a lot of work. To me, the worst sin here is the complete lack of dynamic range: She sings at the same volume from start to finish, which is objectively wrong. All in all, it’s a dreary Eb dirge. So you’re a technically proficient singer with no confidence and a ton of bad habits from a lifetime of singing easy as pie country songs to audiences with low standards? That don’t impress me much.”

… Newsweek: “A viral video appearing to show attendees leaving Trump’s speech midway through his remarks is spreading widely online, prompting debate over crowd engagement at the event. A clip appears to show people walking toward exits during Trump’s June 24 speech on the National Mall in DC. Newsweek analysis of C-SPAN footage from the event found the widely shared moment corresponds to 9:08 PM - roughly halfway through the speech.”

… Jared Poland, who was reporting live from the event on the ground, posted a photo of people sleeping on the lawn during the speech with this caption: “The crowd has really thinned out since Trump began speaking around 8:50 PM. Trump’s speech is literally putting people to sleep.”

… A mock-up miniature version of Trump’s proposed Triumphal Arch was on display today at the sparsely-attended Freedom 250 Fair Day 2. The Arch that Trump is building is 250’ tall, which is a LOT higher than the one on display at the fair.

Andrew Leyden

… NPR: “Roughly an hour before Trump was set to sign bipartisan housing legislation Wed on Capitol Hill alongside the Republican leaders of both chambers, he imploded the plan in a social media post, denying his party a key affordability-focused win to promote ahead of the midterms. Trump wrote in the post that he would not sign the legislation, which he called ‘of minor importance,’ until Congress passed the SAVE Act.”

… “The president canceled the signing as a table emblazoned with the presidential seal sat waiting in Statuary Hall for the ceremony. Some top Republicans were in the middle of speeches or press conferences touting the bill, not knowing the president had blown up their anticipated victory lap. The last-minute swerve is just the latest example of Trump abruptly changing course, leaving his colleagues on the other end of Penn Ave to deal with the fallout.”

… “Just last week, John Thune thought he had a plan to reauthorize a key spy tool after Democrats refused to renew it unless Trump pulled back his selection of Bill Pulte, a loyal attack dog, as DNI. So Thune pressed for a more palatable permanent director, allowing the Senate to swiftly confirm him before Pulte took the reins. When Trump then nominated Jay Clayton, the crisis seemed averted.”

… “Then, just hours before the confirmation hearing was scheduled to begin last week, Trump blew up that plan in a similar fashion, writing in a 4 AM social media post that he would not sign legislation reauthorizing the spy tool unless it included the SAVE Act.”

… Karoline Leavitt posted this hours before Trump said he was refusing to sign the bill: “Trump will sign into law the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, one of the most significant pieces of housing affordability legislation in American history. This bipartisan bill includes policies long championed by the President. It cuts unnecessary red tape, helps increase housing supply, and limits the ability of large institutional investors to purchase single-family homes.”

… “As the President has said, homes should be owned by American families, not large corporations. Trump promised to lower housing costs, and he is delivering, making it easier for every family to achieve the American Dream of homeownership. The historic bill signing is another promise made, promise kept.”

… But then it wasn’t.

… Punchbowl: “Sometimes, the word ‘trainwreck’ doesn’t suffice. Speaker Mike Johnson headed back to the WH on Thursday to meet with Trump in a bid to get his chamber back open again after what can only be called a disastrous 24 hours for House Republicans. Trump canceled a Capitol signing of the bipartisan housing bill that leaders in both parties had been working on for months. This was a massive priority of House Financial Services Chair French Hill (R-AR).”

… “At the same time, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) has shut down the House floor, rendering the GOP leadership completely unable to bring up any legislation. Luna has frozen the House because the Senate hasn’t taken action on the SAVE Act. Shutting down the House floor doesn’t really accomplish anything in the Senate, but here we are. Without being able to pass a rule, Johnson can’t do much of anything, and might as well send the House home.”

… Thune was asked about Trump’s sudden reversal on the housing bill: “I guess I would say at this point I don’t have any observations.”

… Thune then adjourned the Senate for the next 19 days.

… Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL): “Thune just got unanimous consent (meaning not one senator objected) for the Senate to adjourn 19 days meaning the Senate is going home after tonight’s votes. I will not be voting to re-open the floor of the House until the Senate gets back to DC TO DO THEIR JOB. Thune is running and hiding.”

… Julie Tsirkin with NBC: “Trump looked directly at me when I asked him multiple times whether he still has confidence in Thune. He did not answer the question. Instead he said ‘communists are coming in’ to the country when asked whether elections are more important than housing.”

… Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI): “Remember this is a two-way street. Thune may be getting thoroughly fed up with Trump. Dissension in the Republican Caucus may be growing. The realization may be dawning that Trump prefers to take them all down with him than fail alone.”

This is one of those long Bulletins with news from all over the place. Yesterday on Uncovered we got through 8 topics, and led off with a deep dive on the drama of Trump leaving Republicans crying at the altar after he canceled the Housing Bill signing as they were congratulating themselves in a press conference. If you missed Uncovered, you can find it here.

You find find the last Bulletin here.

… Sen. Lisa Murkowski to CNN’s Manu Raju: “If he chooses to hold up his own agenda because he wants action on the Save Act, that’s, I guess, his call. It is not helpful to him. It’s not helpful to the country. If you don’t have the votes, sir, you don’t have the votes. Q - Is Trump hurting chances of keeping GOP majority? I don’t think it helps. People want us to focus on things that they’re talking about at home.”

… Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) to Meidas: “I didn’t think I could be shocked by anything he does, but he was literally handed a bipartisan housing bill that would lower costs on a silver platter. It was such an easy win for him at a time when he’s so unpopular because of his cover-up of the Epstein files and this illegal war he screwed up. He could’ve said, ‘I did this big housing bill,’ and because he is so committed to rigging the election, he chose to blow it all up. Their party is a mess. Trump is a joke.”

… Conservative radio host Erick Erickson: “The thing the Save Act does best is get the GOP base to hate the GOP Congress so the base doesn’t show up in Nov. It’s an internal voter suppression operation at this point.”

… Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) on MS NOW:

“The president is saying that he will not sign a bill whose purpose is to make housing affordable unless his allies in congress pass a voter suppression bill to rig the election. He is saying, I won’t even sign a bill that will give economic relief to Americans unless the rules of this election are changed so that he cannot be held accountable for all of his misdeeds
“Because what he really fears most is that when there is a change in the balance of power, and when we restore checks and balances, he knows that there will be subpoenas flying that officials from his admin will be testifying under oath about the full range of misconduct and corruption that we already know has been happening since the moment he was sworn in.”
“I think the Trump show has jumped the shark. I don’t think many people are tuning in because he’s lost it. But more importantly, what we’re seeing is how destabilized he is by his global humiliation in the Middle East, which he cannot deny or lie away.”
“His approval rating sits at 34%, while Americans pay more than ever for groceries and health care and rent. And he’s out here building a monument to himself and adorning his office in gold trim, while, because of his actions, cancer patients face a loss of their health insurance. He has cemented his place in history in disgrace.”
“Tuberville reminds me in some ways of my opponent, Mike Collins. And Collins is known even among GA Republicans, for his low integrity and his poor character. He’s a bigot and an anti-semite who is under fed investigation for the illegal misuse of tax dollars. His chief of staff was revealed to be working with white nationalists to try to get a holocaust denier freed from prison. His campaign was recently mocking a rape victim.”

… AP: “The Pentagon said that boot camps for all the military services are once again requiring the flu vaccination for all recruits after Pete Hegseth made the shot optional for the military at the end of April. The development comes amid a growing, weekslong flu outbreak at the Air Force’s boot camp at Lackland Air Force Base in TX that has sickened nearly 300 people.”

… “Hegseth first announced the repeal of the flu vaccine mandate in April, citing ‘medical autonomy’ and religious freedom. Only 40% of the new trainees moving through the boot camp at Lackland opted to receive the shot once it became optional. The base handles roughly 700 new recruits every week and the close-quarters environment has long been recognized as being conducive to the spread of disease.”

… “Recruits are exposed to high stress, low sleep, and close contact conditions for weeks. They typically sleep together in large, open rooms; shower communally; and conduct much of their instruction and inspections in close contact. The Lackland outbreak, which is now roughly 3 weeks long, has produced 275 confirmed cases of the flu.”

… New Reuters/Ipsos poll on Iran War:

23% of Americans think the US is now in a stronger position with Iran compared with its position before the war.
24% of Americans think the war with Iran was worth the costs
63% of Americans think it unlikely that the deal Trump signed will lead to lasting peace between the two countries. Just 18% of Americans see lasting peace as likely.

… Tucker Carlson continues to rant about Trump in interviews after announcing that he’s done with the Republican Party: “Trump knew the Iran war was a massive mistake when he realized there was no obvious military solution. So he tried to posture his way out of it. And after like the 400th Truth Social, Iran reached the same conclusion that everyone on the globe reached - which is this guy’s not strong, he’s weak. Strong people don’t brag about how strong they are. Shut up, bitch! I don’t take you seriously.”

… Marco Rubio on his Middle East trip: Q - “How is the bilateral relationship with Oman? Rubio: Our relationship with Oman is fine. Reporter: Just a few weeks ago Trump threatened to bomb them, so it didn’t seem to be okay then. Rubio: I can only talk about today.”

… Q: “In the meeting with the Gulf allies, did any of them make any commitments to pay into this $300 billion reconstruction fund? Rubio: No, it was not discussed. That’s way down the road and that’s something that’ll be dealt with at the appropriate time.”

… As I predicted on Uncovered, none of the Arab countries are going to pay Iran. This is all nonsense.

… Rubio was also asked why Trump’s son in law, Michael Boulos, who is married to Tiffany Trump and has no govt role, was in Rubio’s official meetings in Kuwait: “He was just here because his brother lives here and I’m a good friend of Michael’s, so we had a chance to catch up.”

… Boulos’s family runs an international business conglomerate that does business in the Middle East.

… US Park Police: “BULLETIN/BOLO: The US Park Police is seeking assistance in identifying the individual depicted here in connection with a Destruction of Govt Property investigation. The incident occurred on 6/19 at the Reflecting Pool on the grounds of the Lincoln Memorial in DC. Anyone with information regarding the identity of this individual is asked to contact the Park Police Tip Line.”

… Anonymous X account who says he is a former WH Dep. Chief of Staff: “Barack Obama went after Osama bin Laden. And got him. This admin is going after blurry middle school girl who pulled off loose flap of paint with bare hand.”

… Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA): “THANK YOU FOR CONFIRMING there are cameras monitoring the Reflecting Pool, no one entered and made a 350 foot gash, no one dumped massive amounts of fertilizer into a 6.5 million gallon pool. Because if anyone did, Trump would be shoving that video in our faces.”

… Punchbowl’s Laura Weiss: “Todd Blanche has told several GOP senators in private meetings that he’s willing to take formal action to kill the $1.8B ‘anti-weaponization fund.’ Murkowski told me she raised the issue: ‘I mentioned that. I thought it was going to be important to have something formalized, and he indicated that they were working on that.”

… WSJ: “Yesterday’s abrupt retirement announcement by Gen. Chris Donahue, the Commander of US Army Europe and Africa and NATO’s Allied Land Command, was made at the request of Pete Hegseth. Prior to this announcement, many believed Donahue was on a fast track to become Vice Chief of Staff of the Army.”

… Gen. Donahue’s removal is said to be part of an ongoing push by Hegseth to put his imprint on the military’s leadership, while squeezing out officers with track records of battlefield valor and command experience in favor of less accomplished political loyalists, officers that fully support both himself and Trump.”

… Fox Pentagon correspondent Jennifer Griffin: “Here are some of the facts about Gen CD Donahue’s storied Army career. Hegseth is forcing him to retire with no explanation, sending shockwaves through the Army and Special Ops community where Gen Donahue is widely respected:

Commander of Delta Force in Iraq and Syria during the ISIS fight.
Led the mission to capture the Benghazi planner in Libya.
Ordered to secure the Kabul Airport after a chaotic withdrawal; returned order to the airport; arranged for hundreds of evacuation flights saving tens of thousands of lives.
Coordinated military aid to Ukraine after the Russian invasion and knows more about lessons learned on the Ukraine battlefield and advances in drone warfare than any senior officer in the US military.
Stint as head of US Army Europe cut short and will require presidential waiver not to lose 4th Star and retirement benefits after Hegseth forced him to retire early, having not had his 4th Star for the requisite 3 years. He was 18 months into current assignment.”

… OSINT Defender: “Gen. Donahue’s removal is said to be part of an ongoing push by Hegseth to put his imprint on the military’s leadership, while squeezing out officers with track records of battlefield valor and command experience in favor of less accomplished political loyalists, officers that fully support both himself and Trump.”

… Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey: “Hegseth fires 4-star US Army Gen. CD Donahue commanding US Army Europe. Donahue clearly the most extraordinary combat leader in a generation. Brilliant. Fearless. Bold. Integrity. Incredible leader.”

… Retired Admiral James McPherson to PBS’s Nick Schifrin: “There’s no more warrior than there was Gen. Donahue. I think this goes to two things. One is the morale of the senior officers. They don’t know what’s in store for them. Is the admin going to go back and look at something they said or did when they were much lower rank years ago? That seems to be what’s happening.”

… “But there’s also an aspect here that is very concerning, and that’s civil-military relations. That’s the relationship that the civilian community has with their military. And the foundation of that relationship is, the military is apolitical. They don’t get involved in politics at all. Well, now we see this admin involving senior officers in politics. And that erodes the trust that the civilian community has in their military. It impacts that civilian-military relationship.”

… Punchbowl: “The WH hoped that loading up its Iran war supplemental funding request with things like aid for farmers and money to combat Ebola would help win over Democratic support. So far, that calculus seems dead wrong. ‘Cute, but not going to work,’ Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said of the approach.”

… “Lawmakers on Capitol Hill had been anxiously awaiting receipt of the request ahead of its Wed arrival. The bulk of the plan - some $67 billion - would go toward the Pentagon and cover costs incurred over the course of the Iran war. But the supplemental request includes a host of other provisions that could prove divisive to the same members and senators that the Trump admin is trying to woo.”

… Lots of chatter on social media about Sean Hannity’s physical appearance in recent weeks on Fox. I commented last week that he was starting to look like his friend Rush Limbaugh right before he got busted for painkillers: “Thanks to everyone who has checked in. While training, I developed a painful pinched nerve in my neck. My doctor put me on prednisone to reduce the inflammation, and while it’s helping, it led to laryngitis and some puffiness, which is normal for this medication.”

… “I’m fine, recovering well, and still training, but apparently a few weeks of prednisone has generated more social media commentary than 30 years of ratings success. I appreciate all the concern and well wishes—including from members of the left-wing media. Sorry to disappoint them, but a pinched nerve, a raspy voice, and a puffy face aren’t taking me out anytime soon.”

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