Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) set the Houston special congressional election runoff for Jan. 31, by which point he will have kept the Democratic seat vacant for almost 11 months, Roll Call reports.
Why Trump Can Never Win on Epstein
Playbook: “What a debacle this has been for the president. Four months of defensive plays that divided his core supporters, wasted precious political capital and offered an open goal to his opponents … and still didn’t prevent the files being dragged out into the open…”
“Which raises a whole separate question as we look toward 2026. Can even Trump cut through the wall of noise that is Trump 2.0? Will a bunch of domestic speeches about the cost of living — even by this president — actually be noticed in a world where the White House has flooded the zone? Judging by the sheer number of storylines the president has unleashed that are eating up coverage this morning — from Epstein to tariffs to deportations to the militarization of U.S. cities to lawfare to war and peace — it looks like an uphill task.”
Trump Says Americans Are ‘Damn Lucky’ He Won
“President Trump says Americans are lucky he’s in office as he sought Monday to refocus his administration on concerns about the rising cost of living that have gripped much of the country,” Politico reports.
Said Trump: “You probably would have had a bankrupt country. You are so damn lucky that I won that election, I’m telling you.”
Trump Promises Tariff Rebate Checks in 2026
“President Trump on Monday promised the government would pay out $2,000 tariff dividend checks starting around mid-2026,” Axios reports.
“Putting a timetable on the checks is a significant step forward versus just suggesting the idea, which Trump has done multiple times this year.”
“But the dividends would require legislation, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said last weekend, and it’s not clear if Congress has the appetite.”
Larry Summers to Step Back From Public Commitments
“Former Harvard University President Larry Summers said he would be stepping back from public commitments after receiving criticism over his correspondence with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Said Summers: “I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused. I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein.”
House Democrats Fail to Stop Internal Revolt
“House Democrats failed Monday to stop several of their members from voting to advance a motion denouncing Rep. Chuy García (D-IL) for effectively ensuring his chief of staff will replace him in Congress,” Axios reports.
“The motion will likely pass when it comes up for a vote on Tuesday, highlighting Democrats’ internal divisions at a moment when they had hoped to be united around releasing the Epstein files.”
UN Security Council Adopts U.S. Peace Plan for Gaza
New York Times: “Russia and China abstained in the vote, which provides a legal mandate for the Trump administration’s vision of how to move past the cease-fire to rebuild the war-ravaged enclave after two years of war.”
Democrats Look to Beat Back Resolution
Punchbowl News: “Democrats will offer a motion to table Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez’s (D-WA) resolution to formally disapprove of retiring Rep. Chuy García (D-IL). MGP, a moderate Democrat from a red district, is unhappy that the timing of García’s retirement announcement resulted in his chief of staff becoming the only Democrat who filed to succeed him…”
“Democratic leadership was furious at Gluesenkamp Perez’s decision to offer her disapproval resolution on Wednesday in the middle of the shutdown debate. Democrats had been urging their members all week to train their anger on Republicans and the lack of action on health care.”
Trump Airs Frustration With Latin America
“President Trump signaled a willingness to expand his military campaign in Latin America to include possible strikes in Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico as he complained about the flow of drugs and migrants into the US,” Bloomberg reports.
Washington Post: Trump says he won’t rule out sending troops into Venezuela.
Trump Looks for Distraction on Epstein
“Attorney General Pam Bondi’s prosecutorial sprint speed is improving, at least from the perspective of the man holding a stopwatch, President Trump,” the New York Times reports.
“Just 217 minutes elapsed between Mr. Trump’s command on Friday morning that she investigate prominent Democrats like Bill Clinton who were named in documents Congress obtained from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate and Ms. Bondi’s announcement that she had referred the matter to the U.S. attorney in Manhattan. Earlier demands took days, sometimes weeks, to fulfill.”
“Ms. Bondi’s statement was an unmistakable demonstration of Mr. Trump’s near-total success in subordinating the Justice Department’s post-Watergate independence to his will. Friday was a milestone of sorts. The department was deployed, in effect, as an arm of the president’s rapid-response operation to help him muscle through a damaging news cycle.”
For members: Trump Reopens Epstein Probe to Avoid Releasing the Files
Trump to Sell F-35 Stealth Fighters to Saudi Arabia
“President Donald Trump confirmed Monday that he will allow Saudi Arabia to purchase F-35 stealth fighter planes, a move that will likely anger Israel as the U.S. deepens ties with another Middle East powerhouse,” Politico reports.
New York Times: “Saudi Arabia has long been the biggest purchaser of American weapons. But its conduct on the world stage has made some in government wary of the potential national security implications of giving Riyadh unfettered access to some of the United States’ most sensitive stealth technology, even if the kingdom has deep enough pockets to purchase it.”
Billionaire Critic Now Wants to Work with Mamdani
Influential billionaire GOP donor John Catsimatidis — a fierce critic of New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani — now says he wants conservatives to work with the incoming administration to ensure the city’s success, the New York Post reports.
Trump ‘Blew My Stack’ Shouting at ‘Stupid’ People
President Trump’s voice was notably hoarse during an Oval Office presser Monday, and one of the first questions from reporters was to ask about the reason why, Mediaite reports.
Said Trump: “I feel great. I was shouting at people because, they were stupid about something having to do with trade in a country, and I straightened it out, but I blew my stack at these people — it’s so stupid.”
Trump Says He Would Sign Bill to Release Epstein Files
President Trump said he would sign the bill to compel the Justice Department to release all files relating sex offender Jeffrey Epstein if it comes to his desk, ABC News reports.
Said Trump: “I’m all for it.”
He added: “Let the Senate look at it. Let anybody look at it. But don’t talk about it too much, because, honestly, I don’t want it to take away from us. It’s really a Democrat problem.”
Epstein Scandal Comes Back to Bite Trump
Timothy O’Brien: “The reality is that it was conspiracy-minded Republicans who set the Epstein firestorm in motion last summer, outraged that Trump’s Justice Department ended an investigation into Epstein’s suicide and clientele.”
“Trump, who hasn’t been accused of any crimes in connection with Epstein, once made political hay stoking conspiracy theories about Epstein’s relationships with elites. He knitted that tale into a broader narrative about institutional malfeasance smothering average Americans, and it may not have occurred to him that some of the traps he set would eventually snap back.”
“It should have crossed Trump’s mind, of course. After all, he and Epstein were pals. Trump once bragged to me that their friendship was stronger than mere business after showing me a prized Palm Beach property that he had outbid Epstein to secure.”
Kash Patel’s Girlfriend Protected by FBI SWAT Team
FBI director Kash Patel’s girlfriend has a security detail made up of elite FBI agents usually assigned to a SWAT team, MS Now reports.
People familiar with FBI security protocols said they were unaware of any instance in which the girlfriends of top FBI officials received government-staffed security details.
Chuck Schumer Isn’t Going Anywhere
Time: “Schumer has professed indifference to the discontent and he had pretty good reasoning: no one who wants him gone has the power to make it happen, and no one who could do it is publicly calling for him to go. Even privately, there is little sign that Senate Democrats expect to replace Schumer before the midterm elections, according to just about every Capitol insider with a grudge and an insight. It’s pretty easy to hold onto a job when no one else is ready to step into it.”
Trump Only Gets Weaker From Here
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