The Art of Making Powerful People Squirm on Camera
Wall Street Journal: “One of the hallmarks of Trump’s second term has been his ability to put others on the spot, forcing them to either think quickly or react in a way that might give him an advantage or new insight into the leader. He often deploys the technique against officials who are accustomed to niceties in public (and knife-fighting behind closed doors), making diplomacy and negotiations into something closer to a reality TV show.”
“Those who have worked with Trump for years explain the behavior in various ways. Particularly when meeting with foreign leaders, Trump will absorb a briefing ahead of time, but has what one former administration official from the first term called ‘an innate feel’ for meetings. He likes to push leaders, probe for weaknesses and determine whether he can catch them off guard.”
“Trump is confident in his own ability to adapt and freestyle.”
Quote of the Day
“I don’t understand. I don’t understand Thomas Massie’s motivation, I really don’t. I don’t know how his mind works, I don’t know what he’s thinking.”
— Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), talking about Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who is seeking the release of the Department of Justice’s files regarding Jeffrey Epstein.
MAGA Doesn’t Build Anything
Noah Smith: “I think it’s pretty uncontroversial to say that the MAGA movement is the most powerful and important political movement in America today, by a wide margin. Trump’s control of the presidency, and his unprecedented domination of the Republican Party, mean that even though MAGA isn’t a majority of Americans, it has complete control over the federal government. That control will diminish, but not disappear, if Democrats take back one or both houses of Congress next fall. In the meantime, despite falling popularity, MAGA reigns supreme.”
“And yet I can’t help thinking that despite its current dominance, the MAGA movement doesn’t have much of a long-term future. It has managed to win some elections, by harnessing popular rage — against Democrats, against immigration, against educated elites, against economic conditions, etc. But rage doesn’t last forever.”
“In order for a movement to have longevity, I think it needs to build something. Things like physical infrastructure, institutions, and culture have a lifetime that long exceeds the cascade of emotions that first brings a movement into being.”
Hegseth at Odds With His Generals
New York Times: “Suspicions about leaks and a mistrust of senior military officers have defined much of the defense secretary’s first six months on the job.”
Mamdani’s Platform Is Very Similar to Bloomberg’s
ABC News: “As Mamdani reshapes the city’s political map, some experts told ABC News a striking parallel is emerging. Behind the labels of ‘socialist’ and ‘technocrat,’ both men share aligned goals: taxing the rich during crises, promoting expansive transit ideas, and bold plans to bring fresh food to low-income communities.”
“Still, experts said, even when policies overlap, most New Yorkers do not see them as similar.”
U.S. Struggles to Rein In an Emboldened Israel
“Israel has emerged from a string of stunning military successes with nearly unchecked power in the Middle East. Now Washington is struggling to adjust,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The Trump administration in recent days has expressed frustration with Israeli actions in Syria and Gaza. President Trump’s MAGA supporters, in particular, are growing more critical of his support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who they fear will drag the U.S. deeper into a morass of regional wars.”
Competing Conspiracy Theories Consume Trump
New York Times: “No commander in chief in his lifetime has been as consumed by conspiracy theories as President Trump and now they seem to be consuming him. They have been the rocket fuel for his political career since the days when he spread the lie that Mr. Obama was secretly born overseas and therefore not eligible to be president. More than a decade later, Mr. Trump is coming full circle by trying to divert attention from the Epstein conspiracy theory with a new-and-improved one about Mr. Obama supposedly committing treason.”
“The harmonic convergence of competing conspiracies has overshadowed critical policy issues facing America’s leaders at the moment, whether it’s new tariffs that could dramatically reshape the global economy or the collapse of cease-fire talks meant to end the war in Gaza. The Epstein matter so spooked Speaker Mike Johnson that he abruptly recessed the House for the summer rather than confront it. The allegations lodged against Mr. Obama so outraged the former president that he emerged from political hibernation to express his indignation at even having to address them.”
Democrats Get Lowest Rating From Voters in 35 Years
“The Democratic Party’s image has eroded to its lowest point in more than three decades, according to a new Wall Street Journal poll, with voters seeing Republicans as better at handling most issues that decide elections.”
“The new survey finds that 63% of voters hold an unfavorable view of the Democratic Party—the highest share in Journal polls dating to 1990 and 30 percentage points higher than the 33% who hold a favorable view.”
“That is a far weaker assessment than voters give to either President Trump or the Republican Party.”
Two Democratic Governors Will Redraw Maps If Texas Does
“The Democratic governors of two of the largest states in the country issued their most explicit threats yet to Republicans in Texas: If they draw new Congressional maps to favor their party before the 2026 election, Democrats will look to do the same,” the New York Times reports.
Said California Gov. Gavin Newsom: “This is not a bluff. This is real, and trust me, it’s more real after listening to these leaders today, how existential this is.”
Said Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker: “Everything is on the table.”
Trump-Kemp Rift Returns Over Georgia Senate Race
“President Donald Trump’s political team is irked that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has continued to recruit his preferred GOP Senate candidate even though the White House is not yet on the same page,” Punchbowl News reports.
“Once enemies, Trump and Kemp had hoped to work together to find the best candidate to oust Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) in 2026.”
“Now that partnership is at risk of fraying with Kemp’s eagerness to recruit former football coach Derek Dooley to be the GOP standard bearer in this hugely important race.”
Ghislaine Maxwell Shared 100 Names with Trump Official
“The partner of late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, completed a second day of questioning on Friday, where she shared information on about 100 different people with the Justice Department,” the Daily Beast reports.
Democrats Think They Can Get Epstein’s ‘Birthday Book’
“House Democrats are trying to get their hands on the now-infamous book celebrating Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday after it was suggested the disgraced financier’s estate is in possession of it,” Axios reports.
“As the minority party in Congress, Democrats have been largely toothless in their attempts to investigate President Trump. They believe this is a rare opportunity to obtain concrete information.”
Former Obama Aides Grapple with ‘Treason’ Allegations
“To former aides who worked in Barack Obama’s White House, the Trump administration’s allegations of “treason” carried the stench of desperation from a president straining to shift the focus from a burgeoning scandal around Jeffrey Epstein,” NBC News reports.
“Still, they’re grappling with how to contain the unprecedented accusations National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard has leveled, even as they dismiss them as asinine.”
Some Republicans Regret Tax Hike on Gamblers
“Some top Republicans are regretting that they inserted a tax hike on gamblers into President Donald Trump’s megabill, with several lawmakers who supported the legislation now calling for rolling back that policy,” NBC News reports.
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Procurement Process Kicked Off for Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’
“The Trump administration is seeking to spend up to $151 billion on technology to underpin its ‘Golden Dome’ project, as it begins the procurement process for one of the most expensive and ambitious defense plans in U.S. history,” the Financial Times reports.
“Under a scheme to be known as the Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense, or Shield, the government aims to spend the $151bn over a 10-year period on a wide range of contracts.”
Trump Birthright Order Blocked Again
“A federal judge in Boston issued the second nationwide block of President Donald Trump’s birthright citizenship limits this month as the lawsuits continue, in another sign that a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision restricting ‘universal injunctions’ is having limited impact on the dispute,” Bloomberg reports.
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