“The Trump administration on Friday released final plans for President Donald Trump’s 250-foot-tall triumphal arch that do not include drones, snipers or other features of the ‘military complex’ that Trump said he would add to the project,” the Washington Post reports.
Just dropped · Trial Balloon · Ep. 191
Blue Wave Update
Trial Balloon · Ep. 191: Blue Wave Update
Susie Wiles Helped Set Up Fox Interview for Katie Zacharia
“White House chief of staff Susie Wiles helped set up Katie Zacharia’s appearance on Fox News Thursday night, when the embattled new press secretary struggled to answer questions about her rocky first days on the job, according to two people familiar with the internal dynamics,” Politico reports.
”She was ousted hours later on Friday.”
“The interview with host Sean Hannity, which aired during prime time, turned into a pointed examination of Zacharia’s first press briefing and her legal credentials.”
”One of the people, granted anonymity to discuss internal dynamics, described the appearance as a ‘sanctioned hit’ on Zacharia, who was not Wiles’ preferred choice for the role.”
Why Europe’s Right Is Breaking Up with MAGA
“Nationalist parties are notching election victories and leading in the polls across Europe. One recipe for their success: keeping their distance from Trump and his MAGA allies,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Leaders of Alternative for Germany, or AfD, which finished first in two recent regional elections, have scaled back their public interactions with MAGA figures, acknowledged differences of interest with the U.S. and focused their message on domestic issues.”
“In France, National Rally leader Marine Le Pen, who is polling in first ahead of next year’s election, has kept Trump and his allies out of her campaign after calling the Iran war a strategic mistake.”
Trump Revives 2020 Election Conspiracies
“One of President Trump’s many false claims about the 2020 presidential election, which he has repeatedly, and falsely, claimed was rigged against him, was an assertion that there had been ‘thousands and thousands’ of ‘crooked votes’ cast in Wisconsin nursing homes,” the New York Times reports.
“The allegation was unfounded. Yet the view that American nursing homes are a hotbed of illegal voting, where aides regularly change the votes of unwitting residents, lives on in Trumpworld. And like a number of other enduring conspiracies about election fraud, the false claim has seeped into the mechanics of governance this year.”
Trump Waives Most Russia Sanctions Passed by Congress
“President Trump is halting implementation of most of the sanctions that were to be imposed on Russia under a bipartisan bill he signed last month,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“The announcement came in an executive order on Friday night, and was part of a broader pivot by Trump toward courting Moscow as he seeks to end the war in Ukraine and keep energy prices under control ahead of the midterm elections.”
New York Times: Trump signs order exempting Russia from sanctions legislation.
Trump Falsely Says Election of Jon Ossoff Was Illegitimate
“At a rally in north Georgia, Donald Trump again claimed that the 2020 election in Georgia was fraudulent, alleging that the election of U.S. senator Jon Ossoff was illegitimate,” The Guardian reports.
Said Trump: “He was never elected.”
MS NOW: Trump campaigns in Georgia, a longtime focus of his election fraud claims.
Feds Sought Ilhan Omar’s DNA Through Dumpster Diving
“Federal agents collected garbage in hopes of obtaining the DNA of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and her family before this week’s raid at the Minnesota Democrat’s home in Washington,” NewsNation reports.
“Investigators historically have used secretive ‘dumpster diving’ to obtain DNA when search warrants were not possible or would have tipped off investigatory targets. It is legally permissible for law enforcement to collect trash that has been discarded for pickup and comb through it for genetic material.”
New York Times: Ilhan Omar’s sister’s phone was seized before search of lawmaker’s home.
Trump Restricts Drone Activity Along U.S.-Mexico Border
“The Trump administration announced on Friday that it was banning unauthorized drone activity along the southern U.S. border with Mexico as part of efforts to curtail criminal cartel operations and other cross-border security threats,” the New York Times reports.
Democrats Surge as Musk Backs Republicans
“One of the last big campaign-finance snapshots before the Nov. 3 Election Day is now available, and both political parties found something to like. But campaign cash is flowing in very different ways — and, on balance, points to an environment more favorable for Democrats,” CNBC reports.
“On one side, Democratic candidates have turned into absolute cash cows, raising oodles more than their Republican rivals across Senate and House battlegrounds.”
“Republicans, however, still have a leg to stand on from an unprecedented flood of outside super PAC cash, bankrolled by a tiny circle of billionaires led by Elon Musk.”
Thune Enjoys Surprisingly Clear Path Back to GOP Leader
“John Thune took criticism from President Donald Trump, agitated online conservatives, and occasionally frustrated some of his own members this year,” Semafor reports.
“Yet his next leadership election is looking smooth compared with the past couple of bouts to lead the Senate GOP. In fact, Thune may actually run unopposed this year, regardless of how the midterms go.”
Another Bonus Quote of the Day
“Dear Katie Zacharia — Speaking as the world’s leading expert on short White House tenures: turn off the news and go enjoy your family. In time you’ll realize that the Universe did you a major favor.”
— Anthony Scaramucci, on X.
How Hegseth’s Plan for a Reality-TV Execution Imploded
The Atlantic: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has enjoyed President Trump’s full support for any number of Trumpian initiatives: staging macho, campy shows of military bravado; trashing political opponents and the press, often by name; dissing European allies; posting videos of air strikes on suspected drug boats off the coast of Latin America.”
“But Hegseth apparently crossed a line with his revelation last week that the execution by firing squad of a military death-row inmate would be livestreamed to the world. Even a president who’d brought a bloody mixed-martial-arts fight to the White House lawn apparently didn’t relish the thought of an afternoon spent watching Army soldiers shoot bullets into a paraplegic.”
Judges Push Back On Trump Records Act Challenge
“A federal appeals court panel sounded deeply skeptical Friday about President Donald Trump’s effort to invalidate the Watergate-era law that governs presidential records — and played a central role in the criminal charges he faced for hoarding classified documents at Mar-a-Lago,” Politico reports.
Elon Musk Is Almost Single-Handedly Funding the GOP
Wired: “Elon Musk has assembled a presidential-level field operation this midterm cycle, underscoring the extent to which he has taken over the get-out-the-vote effort for the Republican party.”
U.S. Budget Deficit Nears $2 Trillion
“The United States budget deficit approached $2 trillion in the 2026 fiscal year, its highest level since the pandemic, as spending on the military, safety net programs and interest on the debt dwarfed the Trump administration’s cost cuts, Treasury Department figures showed on Friday,” the New York Times reports.
“The widening gap between what the government spends and what it collects in taxes and other revenue comes at a critical moment. Investors are nervous about America’s surging debt load, along with stubborn inflation, and have driven up borrowing costs.”