Wall Street Journal: “In his first term, administration officials regularly curbed Trump’s impulses on matters big and small, including on tariffs, immigration and controlling the Federal Reserve.”
“In his second, Trump has been surrounded by fewer people who try to dissuade him, according to White House officials, Trump allies and observers of the presidency.”
“Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence, surprised Central Intelligence Agency officials last week when she included an undercover senior CIA officer on a roster of 37 current and former officials she stripped of security clearances,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Most of the 37 people had either participated in intelligence assessments related to Russia’s attempt to influence the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election or had signed a 2019 letter calling for President Trump’s impeachment.”
“Gabbard didn’t know the CIA officer had been working undercover.”
“The U.S. Air Force will provide January 6 rioter Ashli Babbitt with military funeral honors, reversing a Biden-era decision that denied her family’s request,” The Hill reports.
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Brian Lowry: “Donald Trump looks lousy. He has unexplained bruises on his hands. His ankles are swollen. He’s walking oddly. He keeps mixing up names, or using the wrong word during press availabilities.”
“So is it fair game to publicly probe whether Trump is at death’s door? And before answering, think about what you said roughly 18 months ago about Joe Biden, especially after special counsel Robert Hur interviewed the president and described him as an ‘elderly man with a poor memory.’”
“The question about what’s legitimate in diagnosing presidents from afar has become more than just an academic exercise, given that they endure one of the world’s most demanding jobs.”
Oliver Darcy: “In late 2020, YouTube took a decisive step: The company suspended the right-wing conspiracy factory One America News, demonetized its channel, and declared that it was not an ‘authoritative’ source. It was the correct call: OAN has a lengthy record of spewing dangerous lies about everything from Covid to the 2020 election…”
“Now, less than five years later, Google boss Sundar Pichai and YouTube chief Neal Mohan have executed a shameless, whiplash-inducing reversal. On Wednesday, YouTube TV and OAN proudly announced that they had inked a carriage deal, catapulting the channel onto one of the country’s largest digital pay-TV platform. In effect, Google tossed a lifeline to the outlet, since most every other major carrier in the country had booted it from its lineup. The move will make YouTube TV among the biggest distributors of the MAGA propaganda outlet in America.”
“The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is refusing to leave her post, despite demands from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that she quit or be fired,” the New York Times reports.
“The clash between Mr. Kennedy and Susan Monarez, who was sworn in as CDC director just one month ago, burst into public view on Wednesday as four other high-ranking CDC officials quit en masse, apparently in frustration over vaccine policy and Mr. Kennedy’s leadership.”
“In the days leading up to President Donald Trump’s Aug. 15 Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, one of the CIA’s senior-most Russia experts worked grueling hours, helping Trump and his team prepare for high-stakes diplomacy over Ukraine and making sure they were adequately briefed,” the Washington Post reports.
“Four days later, the CIA officer was at work at the spy agency’s Langley headquarters when she was abruptly ordered to report to the security office. She was informed that her clearance to look at classified material was being stripped.”
“In a span of minutes, her 29-year career in public service was essentially over.”
“At least three top officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention submitted their resignations Wednesday, saying the recent changes and leadership at their agency are preventing them from fulfilling their duties as public health authorities,” The Hill reports.
Washington Post: Top officials resign after RFK Jr. push to change vaccine policy.
“As President Trump threatens more federal incursions into American cities in the name of fighting crime, a group of Democratic mayors huddled on a private strategy call on Wednesday to discuss their plans to fight back,” the New York Times reports.
“The call, hosted by the Democratic Mayors Association, represented a new effort from Democratic officials to wrest the narrative from Republicans on public safety, an issue that Mr. Trump has effectively used as a cudgel. It was also an attempt to coordinate on messaging as national Democrats have strained to mount sustained and unified opposition to the Trump administration.”
“During the call, the mayors in attendance discussed what they saw as an urgent need for Democrats to define themselves as strong stewards of public safety — before Republicans brand them first ahead of pivotal elections.”
“A top Republican lawmaker in California has presented a longshot resolution to split the state in two as a response to Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan to redraw its congressional maps to favor Democrats,” Bloomberg reports.
“James Gallagher, the Republican leader in the California State Assembly, outlined a proposal to separate 35 GOP-friendly inland counties from coastal Democratic strongholds such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. The proposed new state would have more than 10 million people, he said, although it lacks a name and any visible support from the Democratic-controlled state legislature.”
Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) appears to be inching closer to challenging Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) next year but remains unhurried about making a final decision, even as interest in the race intensifies, the Portland Press Herald reports.
Mills was asked again about her future political plans and said she’s “seriously considering” running and could decide as early as November.
“Susan Monarez, the newly installed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is being ousted weeks after she was confirmed to lead the public health agency,” the Washington Post reports.
“President Donald Trump is envisioning a sweeping crime bill and billions of dollars in new funding for the nation’s capital. His Republican allies in Congress are largely in the dark on the details,” Politico reports.
“Multiple times this month, Trump has said he’s working on crime legislation with GOP congressional leaders… But Trump’s latest comments have puzzled Republicans, including members of leadership and key congressional committees, who don’t know what ‘comprehensive’ measure the president is talking about.”
A new Quinnipiac poll finds 60% of voters oppose the United States sending more military aid to Israel for their efforts in the war with Hamas, while 32% support it.
Meanwhile, 50% think Israel is committing genocide based on what they know about the situation in Gaza, while 35% do not think Israel is committing genocide and 15% did not offer an opinion.
“The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved updated Covid vaccines for the fall season that limit who can get the shots, the federal government’s most restrictive policy since the vaccines became available,” the New York Times reports.
“The agency authorized the vaccines for people who are 65 and older, who are known to be more vulnerable to severe illness from Covid. Younger people would only be eligible if they have at least one underlying medical condition that put them at risk for severe disease.”
“New York City Mayor Eric Adams is saying he’s sorry for the controversy that has surrounded his administration over the past year amid allegations of corruption against the mayor and his associates,” ABC News reports.
Said Adams: “To those New Yorkers who have to pick up their paper and read this headline, all I can say is I’m sorry, and I’m committed to this city.”
“President Donald Trump wants the Supreme Court to decide by Sept. 2 whether the administration must spend billions of dollars in foreign assistance approved by Congress,” USA Today reports.
“In an emergency request filed Aug. 27, the Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to immediately pause a judge’s order that the administration had to spend the money. That includes about $12 billion that needs to be committed by the end of September before the funds expire.”
A new Quinnipiac poll finds voters oppose the move to send National Guard troops to Washington D.C. in an effort to reduce crime by 56% to 41%.
Overall, President Trump’s approval rate is a dismal 37% to 55%.
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.
Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.
Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.
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