“I look extremely good in shorts.”
— President Trump, quoted by USA Today.
Justice Department Releases Ghislaine Maxwell Interview
“The Trump administration on Friday released the transcript of a top Justice Department official’s interview with Ghislaine Maxwell, the former associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
ABC News: “The woman thought to have the most direct knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s decades-long sex-trafficking operation claims there was no client list, no blackmail scheme and — to her knowledge — no high-profile Epstein associates who committed illicit acts in connection with the notorious sex-offender’s crimes.”
“Maxwell told Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche that during her time with Epstein — which ranged from the early 1990s to the mid-2000s — she never witnessed nor heard of any inappropriate or criminal activity by President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, nor any of the well-known men who associated with Epstein.”
Why the Democrats Are Struggling
Julia Azari: “Since January 2025, American politics has shifted decisively away from being based on legitimacy, and is instead now mostly a game of power. In other words, the Trumpist GOP – which controls the federal government and much at the subnational level – uses whatever power is available to them, without much concern about legitimacy. Typically, in a democracy, uses of power would be limited by what can be justified in terms of democratic values, accepted practices, and norms like reciprocity…”
“The Democratic Party is not well-suited to this style of politics. This isn’t entirely a knock – a party that’s deeply wedded to arguments about legitimacy instead of thinking about ways to use raw power isn’t the worst thing. But the particular way that the Democratic Party operates and has evolved makes it especially poorly equipped to respond to this year’s developments.”
Trump Says U.S. Will Take 10% Equity Stake in Intel
“President Trump said the government is taking a nearly 10% stake in Intel, capping a two-week frenzy in Washington over the future of the company and fueling speculation about what else might be done to help troubled chip maker Intel,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Trump Hints at Putting His Name on the Kennedy Center
“Donald Trump made a much-teased announcement from the Oval Office on Friday, that the FIFA World Cup draw will take place at the Kennedy Center on December 5,” Deadline reports.
“But he also signaled his desire to put his own name on the arts institution.”
Said Trump: “Some people refer to it as the ‘Trump Kennedy Center,’ but we’re not prepared to do that quite yet. Maybe in a week or so.”
Trump Says Putin May Attend World Cup
“President Trump on Friday said that Russian President Vladimir Putin may attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup being co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico, showing off a photograph in the Oval Office of the two leaders together,” The Hill reports.
Said Trump: “He may be coming and he may not, depending on what happens. We have a lot of things happening over the next couple of weeks.”
The Worst Gerrymander Ever
Sam Wang finds the Texas gerrymander of its congressional map is the worst of the last 50 years.
“If this map stands, it will be because the Supreme Court is ready to discard what is left of the Voting Rights Act. And Texas’s record will enter the history books.”
Vance Denies Raid Is About Retribution
Vice President JD Vance confirmed that the Trump administration is “in the very early stages of an ongoing investigation” into former national security adviser John Bolton, but he denied that the investigation was retribution for Bolton’s criticism of Trump, NBC News reports.
Said Vance: “We are investigating Amb. Bolton, but if they ultimately bring a case, it will be because they determine that he has broken the law. We’re going to be careful about that. We’re going to be deliberate about that, because we don’t think that we should throw people — even if they disagree with us politically, maybe especially if they disagree with us politically — you shouldn’t throw people willy-nilly in prison.”
Trump Installs New Head of the RNC
“Joe Gruters officially took over the Republican National Committee on Friday,” Politico reports.
“And the longtime Trump ally from Florida made his goals clear: Help the president ‘100 percent’ and assist Republicans in maintaining their edge in the House and Senate during the midterms.”
Trump’s Purge of National Security Agencies Continues
“Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has fired Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, the latest senior military or intelligence officer to lose his position in a wider purge of national security agencies’ top ranks,” the Washington Post reports.
Flashback Quote of the Day
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.
— Martin Niemöller, after being released from prison after World War II.
IRS Wants to Rehire Workers It Lost
“The IRS plans to ask workers who accepted offers of deferred resignation and early retirement to come back to work — an attempt to make up for staffing losses after the agency found it had vacancies in critical jobs,” the Washington Post reports.
“The tax agency — which lost nearly 25,700 employees, or 25 percent of the workforce, from buyouts, resignations and firings — told employees that it now wants to reverse some of those losses by reassigning workers, asking workers who took buyouts to return and launching a hiring campaign.”
Canada Drops Many of Its Retaliatory Tariffs
“Canada removed many of its retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. on Friday, marking a significant step forward in the two countries’ relationship,” CNBC reports.
Two Reasons to Defend John Bolton
Jonathan Last: “The first is that whatever you think of Bolton’s worldview, he has been consistent in it. He did not abandon the hawkishness that has been his life’s work just because Trump was president. In fact, Bolton’s falling out with Trump was largely driven by his unwillingness to sign off on Trump’s isolationism and corruption. So if Bolton has been wrong about foreign policy, at least he’s been honestly wrong.”
“The second is that, when the chips were finally down, he exhibited courage. He told the public what he saw.”
“Not on the timetable you or I might have preferred. Nor with the humility that should have accompanied it. But he revealed important facts that otherwise would have remained hidden and he did so at great personal risk.”
“Which is why everyone on the side of liberalism and the rule of law ought to take Bolton’s side today. Solidarity.”
Trump Seeks $2 Billion to Clean Up Washington, D.C.
“President Donald Trump announced Friday that he would request $2 billion from Congress to beautify Washington, the latest development in his plans to dramatically remake a city he says was overrun with crime and decay before he intervened,” the Washington Post reports.
“Trump said the administration would improve light fixtures and roads within a three-mile radius of the Capitol and the White House, as he accused D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) of failing to keep the city clean.”
Bolton Warned Days Ago Trump Was Coming After Him
Former Trump National Security Advisor John Bolton warned earlier in the month that President Trump was coming for him when asked about being on FBI Director Kash Patel’s “enemies list,” Mediaite reports.
Said Bolton: “Well, I think he’s already come after me and several others in withdrawing the protection that we had from the Iranians for the attack on Qasem Soleimani. So I think, and I said in the new foreword to the paperback edition of my book, I think it is a retribution presidency.”
The Last American President
Out next month: The Last American President: A Broken Man, a Corrupt Party, and a World on the Brink by Thom Hartmann.
“How plutocrats, political cowardice, and systemic rot built the perfect runway for Trump’s authoritarian ascent.”
The Last American President: A Broken Man, a Corrupt Party, and a World on the Brink
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Hartmann, Thom (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 09/23/2025 (Publication Date) - Berrett-Koehler Publishers (Publisher)
South Carolina Governor’s Race Is All About Trump
“The crowded Republican race to be South Carolina’s next governor has erupted into an early, all-out battle to secure Donald Trump’s coveted endorsement, with the candidates going to great lengths to grab the president’s attention 10 months before the primary,” NBC News reports.
“That includes everything from personally sending him positive polls and employing his top allies to mimicking his signature catchphrases and policy proposals.”
“Seeking Trump’s endorsement is hardly a new phenomenon in Republican politics. But what’s notable is how South Carolina’s first open governor’s race in 15 years has so explicitly become a contest about winning the MAGA mantle, as opposed to the issues that once dominated politics in the state, according to interviews with a dozen Republican operatives, strategists and lawmakers.”
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