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What Just Happened?

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Trial Balloon · Ep. 194: What Just Happened?

Newsom Commutes Sentences of 548 Death Row Inmates

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“Gov. Gavin Newsom of California moved to spare the lives of all 548 prisoners on the state’s death row on Thursday in the largest mass commutation of death sentences in modern American history,” the New York Times reports.

“Mr. Newsom said he made the decision because he finds capital punishment morally objectionable. He reduced every death sentence to life in prison without parole, a sweeping move that will require a review by the state’s highest court in some cases and could draw legal challenges.”

Criminal Probe of Supreme Court Abortion Leak Started

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“The Justice Department is pursuing a criminal investigation into who leaked the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning the right to abortion, examining the inner workings of an institution that has long operated in secrecy and resisted oversight from the other branches of government,” the New York Times reports.

“At issue is who provided the draft decision to Politico two months before it was formally released by the court, a seismic breach of confidentiality that led to intense partisan accusations about the motivations of the leaker.”

“Despite an internal inquiry by the court, no leaker has ever been publicly identified.”

Hegseth Faces Renewed Impeachment Effort

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“U.S. lawmakers are looking to impeach embattled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as soon as next week, an effort that’s gained momentum after the Iran war he championed partly led to Republicans losing control of Congress in the midterms,” Bloomberg reports.

“Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican and frequent critic of President Donald Trump, told Bloomberg News he will ‘definitely’ reintroduce articles of impeachment when the chamber returns next week.”

“The move follows Massie’s earlier effort to impeach Hegseth — for waging the Iran war without congressional approval — and amid widespread speculation that Hegseth’s job is on the line. Trump has said he intends to keep Hegseth as Pentagon chief.”

Clock Is Ticking for Republicans to Move Their Priorities

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Washington Sun: “Senate Republicans are staring down their last chance to move key priorities during the end-of-year lame-duck session after suffering a beating in the midterm elections.”

“With the hourglass dwindling, Republican leaders are faced with decisions in the final weeks of unified government as they attempt to balance bipartisan year-end priorities with advancing party goals before handing over control to Democrats.”

“Some Republicans have indicated they want to push through a reconciliation package in the waning days of the session control.”

An Impressive Array of Villains Got Their Just Deserts

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Jason Linkins: “I simply lack the space to list them all, folks. We got a two-for-one on mendacious Republicans named Collins, thanks to Jon Ossoff and Troy Jackson. Ken Paxton, who has gotten away with so much over his political career, finally saw his bill come due, going down to James Talarico. Smarmy reptile Vivek Ramaswamy went down hard—and Amy Acton reportedly didn’t take his concession call. (Good for her.)”

“Oligarchs backing the GOP set their cash on fire. They had money, Democrats had people. There were 41 ballot measures on data centers and Big Tech lost 40 of them. It was a bad night for people fleeing other places (Flavio Bolsonaro to America; Elon Musk to Texas). Haley Stevens can go kick rocks with her tiresome fiancé and her stupid hats.”

Abortion Resurfaces as a Decisive Issue Amid Blue Wave

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“Anti-abortion leaders who spent tens of millions boosting Republicans in the midterms have a message for the party following Tuesday’s blue wave election: It’s your own damn fault,” Politico reports.

“Voters overwhelmingly rejected an anti-abortion ballot measure in Missouri, approved pro-abortion rights referendums in Nevada and Virginia, and flipped the House and Senate to Democratic control by electing candidates in Georgia, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Texas and other battlegrounds who ran on protecting or restoring access to the procedure.”

“Now, the jockeying over what those results mean and how they should shape politicians’ actions heading into next year’s Democratic congressional majority and the 2028 presidential race begins.”

Grassley Won’t Retire Early

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“A blue wave in Iowa won’t force Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) into an early retirement,” the Washington Examiner reports.

“A spokesperson for Grassley, 93, told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday that he plans to serve out the remainder of his term after state Auditor Rob Sand flipped the governor’s mansion to Democrats.”

Hegseth Expands National Guard Presence in DC

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“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized the National Guard to begin using boats, several dozen marked police cars, humvees and light medium tactical vehicles in the nation’s capital — an escalation of the troops’ presence that could further blur the line between their military and law enforcement role,” Politico reports.

“It’s not clear why the Trump administration is making the move now.”

Raskin Contemplates a Third Trump Impeachment

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“An upbeat Jamie Raskin moved closer Tuesday to becoming the first Marylander in nearly 200 years to chair the U.S. House Judiciary Committee,” the Baltimore Banner reports.

“From that perch, he said, he would try to close gun-sale loopholes, scrutinize antitrust deals and — perhaps — pursue another impeachment of President Donald Trump.”

Said Raskin: “We’re not afraid to impeach Donald Trump. We’ve done it twice. He has 50% of all the presidential impeachments in American history. It’s Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and two for Donald Trump.”

Rout Closes Trump’s Window On the Supreme Court

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“President Trump put three justices on the Supreme Court during his first term. On Tuesday, voters all but guaranteed that he won’t get a fourth,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Democrats’ midterm blowout gave them a Senate majority—with a several-seat cushion—that will make it easy to block Trump judicial nominees, especially for any Supreme Court vacancies that might arise in 2027 or 2028.”

“That prospect casts new uncertainty over the long-term sustainability of the high court’s 6-3 conservative majority, as well as the legacies of the two oldest and most conservative justices: Clarence Thomas, 78, and Samuel Alito, 76.”

Elon Musk Suffers Political Setback

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“Democrats’ sweeping midterms victory marked a major rejection of Elon Musk and the artificial-intelligence industry, as a broad backlash against U.S. President Donald Trump and his tech allies put their political influence — and the debt-fueled data center buildout — under sharper scrutiny,” CNBC reports.

“Across the country, voters pushed back against billionaire influence and the growing power of technology companies, electing critics of the AI industry and approving restrictions on data centers fueling its expansion.”

New York Times: Tech billionaires face tricky political waters after Democratic midterm sweep.

Texas Sweep Fueled by Anger Over GOP Education Agenda

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“Speaking to a packed crowd in Austin on Tuesday night after she became the first Democrat elected governor of Texas in nearly 40 years, Gina Hinojosa vowed to make good on a signature campaign promise: firing the state’s top education official,” NBC News reports.

Said Hinojosa: “We are taking our children’s education back from a government that has failed them.”

“Hinojosa’s promise to fire Education Commissioner Mike Morath ‘on day one’ drew sustained, rapturous applause — a reflection of how anger over the direction of public schools had quietly become a potent political force in an election that upended more than three decades of Republican dominance in Texas.”

Vance’s Break with Trump Follows Weeks of Handwringing

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“Vice President JD Vance spent Tuesday night in the White House East Room watching the disastrous midterm results roll in. Sitting alongside President Trump, Vance saw the Senate seat he had briefly held in Ohio flip to Democratic control, and then all of Congress,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“By Wednesday morning, the Marine veteran made his simmering frustrations public, blaming the war for the Republicans’ stunning losses and issuing a rare public rebuke of the ongoing military campaign his boss still supports.”

“Vance’s comments followed weeks of internal hand-wringing at the White House about the war’s impact on the midterms and discussions about whether to acknowledge publicly ongoing strikes.”

Democratic Senator Demands ‘Bold Agenda’

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“Key Senate progressive Chris Van Hollen said Wednesday that Democrats should demand a ‘bold agenda’ targeting entrenched corporate interests in Washington before agreeing to back Chuck Schumer or any other aspiring Senate majority leader,” Bloomberg reports.

Said Van Hollen: “No one should be committing to anybody as the next Democratic leader without having that conversation. We need commitments.”

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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