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September 30, 2026

83 posts · Wednesday

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Just dropped · Trial Balloon · Ep. 191

Blue Wave Update

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Trial Balloon · Ep. 191: Blue Wave Update

Hegseth Vows to Cut Pentagon, Then Expands It

September 30, 2026 · 10:29 pm ET · Leave a Comment

“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday pulled together hundreds of troops to lay out cuts to the Pentagon’s bureaucracy — and ended up announcing major plans to add to it,” Politico reports.

”At first, the Pentagon chief’s ‘State of the Force’ speech at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, sounded similar to his more publicized talk last year, where he declared new grooming and fitness standards and vowed to get rid of ‘fat generals and admirals.’ He touted an effort Wednesday to monitor testosterone levels and cut 20% of the military’s top officers — particularly those he considered too ‘woke‘ for their jobs.”

”But Hegseth then took an abrupt U-turn, declaring a half-dozen new initiatives that are likely to add to the Pentagon’s budget — among them a combatant command for drones, a commission led by SpaceX founder Elon Musk and former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and a new military base that the Pentagon chief said governors could compete over to house in their states.”

National Security, White House

Trump Ads Run On CNN and MS NOW

September 30, 2026 · 10:20 pm ET · Leave a Comment

“The Trump administration bought advertising space on both CNN and MS NOW, running taxpayer-funded ads promoting President Donald Trump, even as the president barred both cable networks from the White House grounds — bans that have been paused by a federal judge,” the Washington Post reports.

Media Buzz, White House

U.S. Pressure Campaign Leaves Iranian Tankers Stranded

September 30, 2026 · 10:11 pm ET · Leave a Comment

“Some 15 miles off the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, around 20 empty Iranian oil tankers are stranded, drifting with their engines idled as food, fuel and fresh water run short,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“They are the most visible consequence of the new pressure campaign by the U.S. to bring Iran to heel. Dozens of Iranian or Iranian-linked tankers that had participated in the shadowy trade of getting sanctioned oil to China have been stuck in the waters near Asian countries like Sri Lanka and Malaysia since July, when the U.S. reimposed its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.”

Foreign Affairs, National Security

Democrats Challenge Trump On Venezuela Oil Deal

September 30, 2026 · 9:37 pm ET · Leave a Comment

“Senate Democrats are challenging the legality and prudence of the Pentagon’s plan to take a stake in a Venezuelan oil company, laying the groundwork for a potential probe into the arrangement,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The Pentagon’s deal for a position in North American Blue Energy Partners—Venezuela’s second-largest oil producer—stands on shaky legal ground and undermines the Latin American country’s pursuit of a democratic transition, four high-ranking Senate Democrats said in a letter sent to President Trump’s top lieutenants.”

Foreign Affairs, National Security, Senate

Another Bonus Quote of the Day

September 30, 2026 · 8:06 pm ET · Leave a Comment

“When Trump travels, he hurts people. When he comes to town, that itself helps us. But then he always talks about the wrong things. He talks about things people don’t give a damn about.”

— Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), quoted by Semafor.

2026 Campaign, Political Strategy

Congressional Staff Planned Official Trip with Luxury Stops

September 30, 2026 · 7:41 pm ET · Leave a Comment

NBC News: “A Ferrari factory outside of Bologna, Italy. Luxury brand companies in ‘Milan or Florence.’ Day trips to the Champagne region of France.”

“These are just a few stops on a draft itinerary for an official trip a top aide for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and other congressional staffers planned to take two weeks before the midterm elections, in which issues like affordability and the president’s tariffs on foreign imports are taking center stage.”

Ethics, House of Representatives

Pete Hegseth Talks Tough as GOP Doubts Grow

September 30, 2026 · 7:39 pm ET · Leave a Comment

“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has survived in office by projecting an image of strength,” the New York Times reports.

“His combative style has won praise from President Trump and support from the Republican base. ‘He loves war,’ Mr. Trump said earlier this year, slapping Mr. Hegseth on the biceps.”

“By many measures, though, Mr. Hegseth has never been weaker. He is leading the military through an unpopular war. Republicans in Congress complain privately — and increasingly in public — that he and his staff are dismissive of their questions and frequently unprepared for briefings.”

“If Democrats win a majority in the House, Mr. Hegseth will likely face new calls for his impeachment.”

National Security, White House

Trump Defends His Taxpayer-Funded Campaign Ads

September 30, 2026 · 7:20 pm ET · Leave a Comment

“President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended a recent slate of campaign ads that say they were paid for by the U.S. government, arguing the spots are promoting the country rather than his own political interests,” the Washington Sun reports.

Said Trump: “Now, if somebody said that that’s wrong, I’ll gladly pay the money. I’m not promoting myself because I’m not running for office. I’m promoting the country.”

2026 Campaign, White House

Kristi Noem’s ‘Saddened’ Husband Makes Veiled Threat

September 30, 2026 · 7:17 pm ET · Leave a Comment

“Kristi Noem’s crossing-dressing husband, Byron, expressed a cryptic desire to ‘truthfully share his perspective’ amid his divorce from the ousted former Department of Homeland Security secretary – months after his bizarre ‘bimbofication’ fetish was exposed,” the New York Post reports.

Said Bryon’s lawyer: “Bryon is saddened that the marriage is ending and hopes for a private and amicable resolution. If court proceedings become necessary, Bryon will welcome the opportunity to truthfully share his perspective.”

Scandal, White House

Eric Schmitt Was Warned About the Jack Smith Texts

September 30, 2026 · 7:15 pm ET · Leave a Comment

“As they prepared for the testimony of former special counsel Jack Smith, Republican staff on the Senate Judiciary Committee gave Sen. Eric Schmitt a warning: The texts they had obtained from the Justice Department — which Schmitt suggested was proof Smith had colluded with a Georgia state prosecutor — were ‘unvetted,’ according to a source with direct knowledge of the conversation,” MS NOW reports.

“Schmitt used the texts anyway.”

“What followed was a congressional spectacle that unraveled almost as quickly as it began.”

NewsNation: Schmitt faces fallout after debunked Jack Smith narrative.

Senate

Collins Leads Jackson in Maine Senate Race

September 30, 2026 · 5:35 pm ET · Leave a Comment

A new co/efficient (R) poll in Maine finds Susan Collins (R) leading Troy Jackson (D) in the U.S. Senate race, 48% to 46%.

Maine Senate Race
Susan Collins (R) 48%
 
Troy Jackson (D) 46%
 
co/efficient poll · likely voters · ±2.77%

The same poll in Maine finds Hannah Pingree (D) leading Bobby Charles (R) in the governor’s race, 47% to 38%.

Maine Governor’s Race
Hannah Pingree (D) 47%
 
Bobby Charles (R) 38%
 
co/efficient poll · likely voters · ±2.77%

2026 Campaign

The White House Is Starting to Panic Over the Midterms

September 30, 2026 · 5:29 pm ET · Leave a Comment

“President Donald Trump has told aides that he thinks Republicans could still outperform expectations in the midterm elections this November, seemingly unwilling to confront the worsening political climate for the GOP,” Wired reports.

“But aides acknowledge privately that the national polling for Trump is shockingly bad, and the White House, in recent weeks, has begun to contemplate for the first time losing both the House and Senate majorities.”

Said one longtime Trump operative: “Oh, yeah, we’re going to get creamed.”

NBC News: Trump says he and Republicans have done “very bad job” touting economic wins.

2026 Campaign, White House

Another Bonus Quote of the Day

September 30, 2026 · 5:28 pm ET · Leave a Comment

“We are no longer the woke department or the weak department. Simple translation of that: no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals. Just warriors. Just tough, ready, committed troops. The ideological clowns are out. The patriotic cowboys are in, with testosterone testing on top.”

— Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, quoted by the New York Post.

National Security

Elon Musk Tapped to Co-Lead Project On Future Warfare

September 30, 2026 · 5:24 pm ET · Leave a Comment

“Elon Musk is taking on a new role in the Trump administration, this time helping the Pentagon determine which weapons and technology American troops will need to fight the wars of the future,” Fox News reports.

“War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday that Musk will co-lead Project Meridian, a new Pentagon initiative tasked with looking years and even decades ahead to identify emerging domains of warfare and the capabilities the U.S. military will need to dominate them.”

CNBC: Elon Musk, Palmer Luckey and Newt Gingrich to help Pentagon with warfare initiative, Hegseth says.

National Security, White House

Trump Mails $500 Check to 950,000 on Obamacare

September 30, 2026 · 5:23 pm ET · Leave a Comment

“President Trump is putting a half-billion dollars in the mail — and making sure Americans know who to thank for it,” the New York Post reports.

“About 950,000 Obamacare enrollees in 30 states will receive $500 checks as early as this week — premised on the Biden administration’s alleged overcharging of user fees to health insurance companies, which in turn charged consumers higher rates.”

Health Care, White House

Jim Justice Urges ICE to Dial Back Enforcement

September 30, 2026 · 4:23 pm ET · Leave a Comment

“Sen. Jim Justice said the Trump administration should reconsider its approach to immigration enforcement Tuesday, joining the chorus of criticism of a recent crackdown that has roiled rural communities ahead of the midterms,” Politico reports.

Said Justice: “Before you know it, you get people that get carried away in their job and whatever it may be, and all of a sudden, then you’re dragging people away that have lived on your street corner for 15 years, and I don’t know that we need to be doing that stuff.”

Immigration, Senate

Hegseth Says Reporting On Iran Is a ‘National Betrayal’

September 30, 2026 · 4:17 pm ET · Leave a Comment

“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called press coverage of the Iran war ‘a national betrayal,’ and described journalists as anti-American traitors for reporting on the actions of the Pentagon,” Bloomberg reports.

Said Hegseth: “A free press is of course important, but partisan activism that intentionally smears the troops and the historic mission that they are undertaking is fundamentally anti-American. It’s sick. It’s a national betrayal. It’s treason.”

Media Buzz, National Security

Jim Justice Has a ‘Short’ Timeline for Deciding On Bid

September 30, 2026 · 4:14 pm ET · Leave a Comment

“Sen. Jim Justice said Wednesday that he’ll decide whether to run for West Virginia governor before the end of the year but likely not until after the midterms,” Politico reports.

Said Justice: “The timeline is short, because I don’t want to jerk you around. I don’t want to jerk people around.”

State House

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Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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