Former Louisiana House Speaker Clay Schexnayder (R) was indicted on a felony theft charge for allegedly stealing a cypress board once displayed in the state Capitol, the Shreveport Times reports.
Trump Organization Requested More Foreign Workers
The Trump Organization requested 184 foreign workers to work across various company properties, a record number that has increased over the years, The Hill reports.
Wait, Are the Epstein Files Real Now?
Jonathan Chait: “Of all of Trump’s scandals, his relationship with Epstein—if you ignore the stomach-churning human toll involved—may be the richest source of black comedy. Some of Trump’s most devoted worshippers chose the very issue of Epstein’s misdeeds and supposed cabal of elite backers as the fantasy onto which they projected a valiant role for their hero.”
“Trump was meant to courageously release all of the available evidence for public scrutiny. Instead, this scandal has turned out to implicate him personally.”
A side note: “This is a risk inherent in building a personality cult around one of the worst human beings in the United States—almost any moral violation you pick will, statistically, have a high likelihood of appearing somewhere on his résumé.”
Ben McAdams Launches Comeback Bid in Utah
“Former Rep. Ben McAdams (D-UT) has formally launched his congressional campaign for Utah’s newly redrawn 1st District, marking the start of his highly anticipated comeback bid to return to Congress as the Beehive State’s only Democratic representative,” the Deseret News reports.
Exchange of the Day
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at yesterday’s briefing:
REPORTER: One more: You recently said you’d check with President Trump about why he needed to get an MRI on his recent trip to Walter Reed. Do you have any more detail on that?
LEAVITT: I do, and I’m glad you asked. As stated in the memo provided on October 10th, President Trump received advanced imaging at Walter Reed Medical Center as part of his routine physical examination. The full results were reviewed by attending radiologists and consultants, and all agreed that President Trump remains in exceptional physical health, which I know all of you will see with your own eyes later this evening when he opens up his dinner to the press, and perhaps you will see him when he signs the bill to reopen the federal government, so stay tuned on plans for that.
Bonus Quote of the Day
“This was a failure.”
— Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), quoted by the Washington Post, on how the shutdown went for the Democrats.
An Issue That Still Rattles Trump
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Two Ratings Changes
Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball moves Maine’s second congressional district to Leans Republican after Rep. Jared Golden’s (D-ME) decision to not seek re-election.
And it pushes Utah’s first congressional district to Safe Democratic after a judge imposed a new congressional map.
Trump Left Voicemail After Ozzy Osborne’s Death
Ozzy Osbourne’s family has revealed that President Trump left a voicemail for Sharon Osbourne after the 76-year-old rock icon died from cardiac arrest in July, the Daily Beast reports.
Said Trump: “Ozzy was amazing, he was an amazing guy. I met him a few times and he was unique in every way and talented. So I just wanted to wish you the best and it’s a tough thing. I know how close you were and whatever I can do. Take care of yourself. Say hello to the family. Thanks. Bye.”
Rent Prices Climbed Near Record Before Mamdani Win
“Manhattan rent prices ticked higher in the month before Zohran Mamdani won New York City’s mayoral election on promises to improve affordability,” Bloomberg reports.
Disillusioned Trump Voters Don’t Regret Their Vote
NBC News spoke to 18 Trump voters who said President Trump had not met their expectations on the economy.
Key finding: “None regretted their vote for Trump last year, in many cases because of a deep frustration with Democrats. A handful said they’d be open to voting for Democrats in the future, though most planned to keep voting Republican.”
Mamdani Seeks Advice from Democratic Governors
“New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has spoken privately with several Democratic governors about how to take on President Trump and tackle other priorities,” Axios reports.
“The meetings — with three potential 2028 presidential candidates — are a sign that Mamdani, a democratic socialist, is seeking advice on governing from Democrats across the party’s ideological spectrum.”
The One Issue That Splits Trump From His Base
Karen Tumulty: “The MAGA base has had little trouble looking the other way when it comes to Donald Trump’s trampling of norms and ethical standards: the coarseness; the indictments; the retribution against his enemies; the self-enrichment while in office; the unprecedented claims of executive power.”
“His administration’s handling of information regarding the horrific crimes of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is different. Bringing to light what lies within the Justice Department’s so-called Epstein files is the most persistent issue to have driven a deep wedge into the president’s base — to the point where some who embrace the MAGA label have even been willing to make common cause with Democrats.”
Does the Epstein Story Matter?
Playbook: “There are real-world ramifications of this story exploding back onto the agenda. The White House did not want to spend yesterday talking about Epstein, does not want to spend today talking about Epstein — does not want to spend any more days talking about Epstein. It’s awkward, uncomfortable, distracting subject matter that Trump’s team would like to put to bed.”
“And that’s not going to happen, at least not yet.”
U.S. Faith Levels Plummet to Lowest on Record
Gallup: “The 17-point drop in the percentage of U.S. adults who say religion is an important part of their daily life — from 66% in 2015 to 49% today — ranks among the largest Gallup has recorded in any country over any 10-year period since 2007.”
“About half of Americans now say religion is not an important part of their daily life.”
Epstein Said Trump Was ‘Borderline Insane’
Jeffrey Epstein described President Trump as “borderline insane,” and his lawyer Alan Dershowitz as only “a few feet further from the border but not by much,” in newly-released emails from 2018, Mediaite reports.
House Will Vote on Epstein Files Next Week
“Speaker Mike Johnson announced Wednesday that he would put a contentious bill compelling the release of all of the Justice Department’s Jeffrey Epstein case files to a vote on the House floor next week – earlier than expected,” CNN reports.
“Johnson was required to soon put the bill from Reps. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, and Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, on the floor after the pair successfully deployed an arcane tool in the chamber known as a discharge petition. But he had some leeway to do so.”
“The Republican leaders’ suggestion that he would move more quickly than expected to put the bill before the full House is a reflection of the growing sense of agitation among members of his party on Capitol Hill.”
Playbook: “And this one could get ugly for Republicans. Remarkably, both Democrats and Republicans expect scores of Republicans on the Hill to back the files’ release. They know full well that while the MAGA base may not be sold on Trump’s involvement with Epstein, supporters still want the files released.”
Axios: Epstein files become a fiasco of Trump’s own making.
Quote of the Day
“I know how dirty Donald is.”
— Jeffrey Epstein, quoted in an email released by House Democrats.
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