“You’re a great leader—I say it to everybody. Sometimes people don’t like me saying it. I say it anyway because it’s true. I always say the truth.”
— President Trump, speaking to Chinese president Xi Jinping.
Profiles in Cowardice
Coming this fall: Profiles in Cowardice: A Study of Collaboration in the Trump Era by Jacob Weisberg.
“A devastating reckoning with the people and institutions whose failure to stand up to Trump’s brazen grab for authoritarian power has been particularly shocking and consequential”
A Failing, Flailing President Supplicates Xi
Paul Krugman: “China has many significant problems of its own. It faces a demographic crisis: Its working age population has been shrinking for more than a decade. Its economy is deeply unbalanced, relying on unsustainable trade surpluses and unproductive investment to make up for inadequate consumer spending. Its economic growth is slowing. It suffers from high youth unemployment. Discontent is rising, held in check by autocratic, police-state measures.”
“But despite China’s domestic troubles, in geopolitical terms China is on the ascendant. Trump’s visit to Beijing is a field trip by a failing, flailing would-be autocrat pleading with a real strongman, who leads a much more serious country, to bail him out of the mess he’s made.”
Trump vs. Massie Becomes a GOP Loyalty Test
CNN: “No Republican has infuriated President Donald Trump more than Rep. Thomas Massie, which has placed him in a precarious position heading into Tuesday’s Republican primary in Kentucky. The race is already one of the most expensive primary contests ever, with more than $29 million spent on advertising alone, setting up the biggest political test Massie has ever faced.”
Rudy Giuliani Returns to His Talk Show
Rudy Giuliani returned to his regularly scheduled show on Wednesday evening for the first time after being hospitalized for viral pneumonia earlier this month, the AP reports.
Pentagon Abruptly Cancels Deployment to Europe
“The Pentagon abruptly canceled the deployment of an armored brigade to Poland, a major step toward President Trump’s plan to shrink the U.S. posture in Europe that caught some military officials by surprise,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Democrats Would Give Up Black Voting Power
“A lot of Democrats are willing to sacrifice Black voting power to beat the GOP,” Politico reports.
“In the two weeks since the Supreme Court significantly narrowed a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, Republicans have kicked off a fresh round of redistricting across the South. Their aim is to dismantle majority-minority districts, which they’ve long argued are unconstitutional, and to try to keep control of the House.”
“New results from The Politico Poll show many Democrats want their party leaders to fight back hard — even if it means breaking up districts designed to protect the power of Black voters and other minority communities.”
Trump Stays Mostly Silent in China
Politico: “The world’s most powerful duo held more than two hours of private talks inside the Great Hall of the People at Tiananmen Square. Trump has been uncharacteristically tight-lipped (so far) about what was discussed, keeping off Truth Social and ignoring shouted questions about whether Taiwan was raised.”
“But Chinese state media reports that Xi went in hard, warning Trump that Taiwanese independence is incompatible with peace across the Taiwan Strait.”
A New Video Game About Trump and the Iran War
Wired: “A new video game about President Donald Trump’s war in Iran features fights with the pope and New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani. It’s impossible to win, and that’s the point.”
“The game, Operation Epic Furious: Strait to Hell, was developed by Secret Handshake, an anonymous group of artists behind a handful of satirical works mocking the Trump administration. The group previously installed a gold statue of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein on the National Mall; it portrayed Trump holding onto Epstein in a pose reminiscent of Jack and Rose from the movie Titanic.”
Rand Paul’s Son Apologizes for Drunken Outburst
Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) son apologized for a drunken tirade at a bar in Washington DC, in which he reportedly told a Republican congressman he “hates Jews and hates gays,” The Guardian reports.
Said William Paul: “Last night, I had too much to drink and said some things that don’t represent who I really am. I’m sorry and today I am seeking help for my drinking problem.”
Keir Starmer Faces Leadership Challenge
Bloomberg: “Keir Starmer’s efforts to hold back a potential leadership challenge showed new cracks, as allies of leading Labour Party rivals signaled they were ready to challenge him for the prime minister’s job.”
“Starmer’s former No. 2, Angela Rayner, indicated on Thursday that she was preparing for a bid to lead the governing Labour Party after announcing she had been cleared by a tax probe. The prime minister’s supporters had been expecting Health Secretary Wes Streeting to quit the Cabinet and declare his own challenge.”
Two Top Trump priorities in Jeopardy on Capitol Hill
Semafor: “Two top priorities for President Donald Trump — a gas tax holiday and funding for the new White House ballroom — are in serious jeopardy.”
“Republican lawmakers are publicly skeptical of the need for the gas tax holiday, which requires congressional approval. Republican leaders won’t be able to count on much support from Democrats — or even from some of their GOP colleagues, who see a gas tax holiday as depleting money for highway projects.”
Bill Would Prevent Lawmakers from Becoming Lobbyists
“Congress members would be permanently banned from becoming lobbyists after they leave office under a new bipartisan bill,” CNBC reports.
“The legislation would not only ban senators and U.S. House members from being registered lobbyists, but would also prevent then from being compensated for trying to influence lawmakers and staff on behalf of companies or groups — closing a loophole that would allow former lawmakers to lobby without being a registered lobbyist.”
Conservative Influencers Tap Nonprofit to Pay for Security
New York Times: “When the online influencer Nick Shirley greeted throngs of fans at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Texas in March, a burly security guard shadowed him and ensured nobody got too close.”
“Yet Mr. Shirley did not pay for the body man at CPAC or the security guards who accompanied him on his subsequent investigations of America’s immigrant communities. Instead, his security was paid for by a new charity founded on the idea that safeguarding conservative social media influencers is a public good.”
What Is the Thucydides Trap?
Bloomberg: “When President Xi Jinping met US leader Donald Trump in Beijing on Thursday, he posed a big question: Can China and the US avoid the ‘Thucydides Trap’? It’s a phrase that sounds academic, but it goes to the heart of Beijing’s ambitions for their relationship.”
“The term was popularized by Harvard political scientist Graham Allison in the early 2010s, drawing on the ancient Greek historian Thucydides. His argument: when a rising power challenges an established one, conflict inevitably follows. Allison’s research found this pattern played out repeatedly across history and he used this framing as a lens to examine the US-China rivalry.”
“In simple terms, it’s about structural tension. China’s rise — economically, technologically and militarily — challenges America’s long-standing dominance as a world superpower. Even if neither side seeks confrontation, the risk is that competition itself creates pressure that’s hard to control.”
Europe’s Rearmament Risks Undermining Social Spending
“Pope Leo XIV has criticized a European rush to rearm, warning it is diverting resources from education and health, as he reiterated his message of peace,” Bloomberg reports.
RFK Jr.’s Political Power Is on Ballot in Louisiana
“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is unleashing the force of his political movement to oust two-term Republican US Senator Bill Cassidy in Louisiana’s Republican primary after more than a year of tensions between the two men,” Bloomberg reports.
“Kennedy, the secretary for Health and Human Services, will learn in Saturday’s contest whether the web of nonprofits and activists who fueled his failed 2024 presidential campaign — but was potent enough to help sway the election and ensure a top position for him in Donald Trump’s cabinet — holds enough power to help unseat a senator who coasted to victory in his last election.”
Justices Could Give GOP Boost on Campaign Spending
“Republicans have stockpiled well over $100 million more than Democrats in their party committees heading into the midterms, building a cash advantage in an otherwise tough election year,” the Washington Post reports.
“A looming Supreme Court decision could supercharge that fundraising gap.”
“GOP operatives are hopeful that the court’s conservative majority will soon strike down key restrictions on party committees’ coordination with candidates, allowing those committees to get far cheaper advertising rates and make their money go further. The Democratic National Committee’s fundraising woes could become more consequential as a result.”
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