Here is a resistance song, inspired by the Portland Frog and his brave resistance to the cruelty of ICE. \We're the Frogs, is by Delanae and has a smooth sound and beat with some great lyrics. Open thread below... read more

Former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner issued a dire warning on Monday following President Donald Trump's latest vitory in court. On Monday, a three-judge panel on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay on a lower court order preventing Trump from deploying National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, a city that officials in the administration have described as "war ravagged." the decision allows the administration to deploy troops. Kirschner discussed the potential impact of the ruling on a new epsidoe of "The Legal Breakdown" with progressive YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen. He predicted that the ruling would be appealed to the Supreme Court, which is where the fireworks might begin. "My fear, what keeps me up at night is that the Supreme Court has seemed determined to let Donald Trump forever expand presidential power," Kirschner said. "In the ruling Trump v. United States, where they granted him absolute immunity against prosecution, they made him sort of a a complete king, a dictator in the eyes of the criminal law." "I fear where they're going next when these cases make their way up to the Supreme Court is they will do the same thing for Donald Trump on the military front," he continued. "They will make him supreme leader, a dictator, you know, the military commander whose judgment may not be questioned." "And if that's where the Supreme Court goes, then he becomes really a dictator for all purposes," he added. "He can't be touched by the criminal law and he can do whatever he d--- well pleases with military forces and with state national guard forces...America may be in the kind of tight spot that we're not going to be able to get out of."

Author and CNN panelist Keith Boykin slammed President Donald Trump's latest "affront to democracy" during CNN's "NewsNight with Abby Phillip" on Monday. Boykin and former George W. Bush administration spokesman Pete Seat clashed over the significance of an AI-generated video Trump posted ahead of the "No King's" protests last weekend that drew 7 million people nationwide. In the video, Trump can be seen flying a fighter jet named "King Trump" and the jet drops excrement on protesters in several cities, including Democratic influencer Harry Sisson in New York City. Biykin argued that the video represented an "affront to democracy." "People have busy lives, and they took time out of their lives to do that, and then they have the President of United States figuratively crap on them for expressing their right to free speech, is an affront to democracy," Boykin said. "It's not only juvenile and immature, it's a reflection of where we are as a country today." He added that the hesitance of Republicans to criticize Trump for posting the videos speaks volumes about their party. "Last week they were saying it was okay for for 20-year-olds and 30-year-olds to make racist comments about Nazis and stuff like that, but now we have the president literally attacking a 23-year-old Harry Sisson, dumping crap on him, and that's okay, because that's fair game," Boykin said, "But, when the Republicans are doing it and they're calling each other Nazis, they're just kids. This is just a reflection of the hypocrisy of the republican party."

MAGA fans expressed astonishment and disgust Monday night as FBI head Kash Patel publicly celebrated Diwali, the Hindu “Festival of Lights” celebrated each autumn by more than a billion people, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and some Buddhists. In a post on X, Patel wrote "Happy Diwali - celebrating the Festival of Lights around the world, as good triumphs over evil." Patel is the FBI's first Indian-American to hold the position of director, of Gujarati Indian descent. His family hails from Bhadran village in Gujarat, India, and Patel was born in New York. In posting his celebration of Diwali, Patel found himself under fire from MAGA fans, who melted down on social media. Jeremy Carl, who described himself as being "on the front lines in a war against secularism," shared Patel's post and wrote, "Do you see the problem yet?" X user John McGlone, who describes himself as an "unapologetic Christian American," replied on X, "This is a Christian Nation. Check your foreigner stuff at the gate" X user Johnny Blacksmith, who boasts he was "right wing before it was cool," wrote in response, "Not compatible with American tradition." Marine Corps veteran Jim Eagle simply replied, "Shut the hell up," with a gif of "Lost" actor Terry O'Quinn, who played the character "John Locke." Ben Garrett, pastor at Refuge Church in Ogden, Utah, shot back, "Go back." Podcaster Joel Webbon wrote, "Go back home and worship your sand demons. Get out of my country." Chris Nelson, a Florida Christian, replied, "What the hell is this? This is AMERICA. Not India." X user Scott Hambrick wrote back, "Deport."

Observers bashed the groundbreaking of President Donald Trump's signature White House renovation project on Monday, calling it "an abomination." Trump announced on Monday that crews broke ground on the White House ballroom project that he announced over the summer. The roughly $200 million renovation is being funded by private interests, Trump included, the president said in a Truth Social post. The project also includes a renovation of part of the East Wing of the White House. "I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway — with zero cost to the American Taxpayer!" Trump wrote. Political observers and analysts shared their thoughts on social media. "The metaphorical aspects of this are tragic. Our heritage demolished before our eyes," columnist Jill Lawrence posted on Bluesky. "This is a desecration and an abomination," journalist Ron Filipkowski posted on Bluesky. "First he posts an AI video of himself wearing a crown dumping s--- on the heads of Americans, then he starts tearing down part of the White House for his Mar-a-Lago style ballroom." "He’s spending millions for a ballroom while American soldiers go without pay…" Blue Missouri Executive Director Jess Piper posted on Bluesky. "Note: It is not 'his' ballroom," law professor Jen Taub posted on Bluesky.

Fox News may be President Donald Trump's favorite network, but one of its top primetime hosts just admitted that even his own family members don't like the president. The Daily Beast reported Monday that during a segment on the primetime show "The Five," host Jesse Watters told his co-panelists that his own mother attended last weekend's "No Kings" protests. According to TV Insider, Watters' mother, Anne, is a Democrat. “I know my mom was there,” Watters said. “Can you believe my mom was there? Sometimes I think I was adopted.” According to organizers, approximately seven million people in all 50 states and in several cities around the country attended one of the roughly 2,700 "No Kings" events on Saturday. The Saturday demonstrations were even larger than the June 14 "No Kings" protests, which brought out approximately five million people. President Donald Trump appeared to bristle at the "No Kings" label in a Saturday interview with Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, saying: "They're referring to me as a king. I'm not a king." He later posted two AI-generated videos to his Truth Social platform that evening — one showed him wearing a crown and a royal cloak while holding a sword, spliced together with footage of Democrats kneeling during 2020 racial justice protests while Avenged Sevenfold's "Hail to the King" played in the background. Another video showed him flying a fighter jet over a crowd of protesters while dumping feces on them. Watters took over former Fox News host Tucker Carlson's primetime spot on the conservative network in 2023, after Carlson was abruptly fired in response to a defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems. Fox ultimately paid $787.5 million to settle the case. After Watters formally took over Carlson's slot, his mother called to wish him well. "Do not tumble into any conspiracy rabbit holes," Anne Watters said. "We do not want to lose you, and we want no lawsuits. Okay?" Click here to read the Beast's article in full (subscription required).

An aide to Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican nominee for New Jersey governor, stated opposition to marriage equality and to taking money from Jewish people during a recent event.

President Donald Trump insulted Australian Ambassador to the U.S. Kevin Rudd to his face during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. During a Monday appearance with Albanese at the White House, a reporter asked Trump if he was concerned with "things the ambassador said about you in the past." "I don't know anything about him," Trump said of Rudd, who was sitting across the table from him. "I mean, if you said bad, then maybe he'll like to apologize. I really don't know." "Did an ambassador say something bad of me?" the U.S. president asked Albanese. "Don't tell me. Where is he? Is he still working for you?" "Yeah, yeah," Rudd volunteered. "You said bad?" Trump asked. "Before I took this position, Mr. President," the ambassador replied. "I don't like you either," Trump fumed. "I don't, and I probably never will." read more

Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bernie Burnham spoke about the No Kings rally they helped cosponsor. Historically, union members have stood up for what is right in our workplaces. At this time in our nation, we are standing up to attacks on unions and working people, which is why we are proud to co-sponsor this march. We look forward to standing in solidarity with thousands of Minnesotans, many of them union members, on Saturday right here in Minneapolis and all across our state. Solidarity is what we need to stop the attacks on unions and our immigrant communities. Solidarity is what is needed to ensure we roll back these terrible health care cuts impacting the lives of Minnesotans and people all across these United States. We are encouraging all union members to join in these peaceful marches and rallies if you're able to. Our labor movement is clear in saying there are no kings in America. No one is immune to the damage the Republican fascists are doing and no one is exempt from doing what they can to stop them. The unions are showing this every day in many different ways, from filing lawsuits to stop the damage to setting up collection drives for food and other items to help those impacted from the Republican shut down of government to standing up for immigrant workers being targeted by the ICEtapo. But whether you belong to a union or not, we will all have to stand together or fall separately. read more

Virginia Giuffre's ghostwritten memoir is due to be published tomorrow and will shed more light on her account of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein. The more publicity this book gets, the more the Orange One will freak out. Expect weirdness. Via Newsweek: Nobody's Girl is due for publication in the U.S. by Knopf, an imprint of Penguin Random House, on Tuesday and will tell the life story of a woman who helped expose Jeffrey Epstein's campaign of abuse against young—and in some cases, underage—girls. Giuffre died in April, and her publisher said she "took her own life." In 2022, she filed a lawsuit accusing Prince Andrew of rape, saying she was trafficked by Epstein to London, New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands to have sex with the royal and feared death if she refused. Andrew denied the allegations and settled out of court for an undisclosed sum while denying liability. Nigel Cawthorne, who wrote an unauthorised biography Virginia Giuffre in 2022, told Newsweek: "I guess that it's a more poignant story now she is dead. She speaks from beyond the grave." read more

-- Katherine Boyle, a powerful venture capitalist tied to J.D. Vance and Peter Thiel, quietly builds MAGA influence through Silicon Valley Become a Member: https://www.davidpakman.com/membership https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/business/katherine-boyle-andreesen-horowitz-american-dynamism.html Subscribe to our (FREE) Substack newsletter: https://substack.davidpakman.com Get David's book: https://davidpakman.com/book Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidpakmanshow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dpakman Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/thedavidpakmanshow Discord: https://www.davidpakman.com/discord Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/davidpakman.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@david.pakman David's tech: Camera: Panasonic Lumix G85 https://amzn.to/4fOir5a Microphone: Shure SM7B: https://amzn.to/3hEVtSH Voice Processor: dbx 266xs https://amzn.to/3B1SV8N Stream Controller: Elgato Stream Deck XL https://amzn.to/4fOGJvE Microphone Cloudlifter: https://amzn.to/2T9bhne Timely news is important! We upload new clips every day! Make sure to subscribe! Original show date: October 20, 2025 #davidpakmanshow #davidpakman #tdps

Ohio Republicans appear all but guaranteed to join the ranks of GOP lawmakers around the country, heeding President Donald Trump's call to rig congressional maps to give themselves extra seats — but Democrats may be hatching a plan to stop it, Punchbowl News reported on Monday. The issue stems from Ohio's redistricting laws, which Republicans passed several years ago to ensure they'd retain the power to draw maps unilaterally, while creating a series of extra steps and checks to make it look as if they didn't. Under Ohio's procedure, the map must be passed on a bipartisan basis, but if no consensus can be reached, the majority party can pass its own map, but only for four years. This ultimately happened in the last round of redistricting, but due to various circumstances, the gerrymander ended up relatively mild, allowing Democrats to win five out of 15 congressional seats. But with the legally required redraw taking place this fall, Republicans are expected to try to redraw up to three of those seats as more Republican-favoring. "If Republicans pass their new map without bipartisan support, as expected, Democrats can force a referendum on that map by gathering roughly 250,000 signatures in the 90 days after the map is passed," wrote Punchbowl's Ally Mutnick. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is gearing up to fundraise for this effort, which is expected to be an expensive and uphill battle. If the signatures are collected, however, the new map would be suspended until voters can approve or veto it in the 2026 election. However, then it would not be clear what the state's map would be, as the current one is expiring. "In that scenario, Democrats are hoping a state court would extend the current map through 2026. Republicans would likely ask that their new proposal take effect. There are a lot of unknowns here," Mutnick reported. A similar battle has unfolded in Missouri, where Republicans employed a mid-decade redistricting scheme to carve up the seat held by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. Activists are gathering signatures for a referendum that would likewise suspend the gerrymander there and leave Missouri's current map in place, although Republicans have employed a number of tactics to try to stop this.

President Donald Trump's loyal followers in the right-wing media have drummed up a false panic about chaos and disorder in American cities to justify his authoritarian crackdown with the National Guard on anywhere that protests him, Media Matters for America president, Angelo Carusone, told MSNBC's "The Weeknight" on Monday. This comes after a federal appeals court panel dominated by Trump appointees gave the green light for the president to activate the Oregon National Guard to march on protesters at the Portland Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility. "So much of this, even though this is being decided in the court of law, becomes about the imagery and about what people understand this to be," said anchor Alicia Menendez. "To your point about the fact that [the appellate court] just took the representations at face value, this is what a lower court judge had to say about the protests in Portland on September 26th, the eve of the president's directive. Law enforcement, quote, 'observed approximately 8-15 people at any given time out front of ICE, mostly sitting in lawn chairs and walking around. Energy was low. Minimal activity.' If you watch Fox News, that's not the impression you would get of what is happening in Portland. And by the way, that judge was a Trump appointee." "Yeah, I think the misinformation part of this is incredibly important on multiple levels," said Carusone. "One, at the court level, you know ... the appeals court didn't accept the finding of fact. They just accepted representations from government. And what's scary about that is that NYU just put out a study where they found that 35 courts have pointed out that that the government has lied, the administration has lied to them. Thirty-five courts have called them out for giving them false information. So you shouldn't be taking it at face value at anything." "But this is because it's sitting on top of this larger cauldron of lies that has been cooked and simmering on Fox News in particular, and what they've been doing," Carusone continued. "And all of those people at the antifa hearing that Trump did, that meeting at the White House, they are all ostensibly right-wing media figures. Many of them call themselves journalists, but they're media figures, they're characters, and they have been pumping poison into the ecosystem for weeks. So because they do their own podcasts and streams, they're on the ground there. They have been not just creating these little flash points of imagery or pointing back to B-roll from 2020, saying, there's fires burning, and recycling that narrative. And of course, Fox will pick it up and run with it. But the larger story that they're putting on top of it is that it is chaos on the streets." "And so that has been recycled in the right-wing echo chamber for weeks on weeks on weeks," he added. "And these are all figures that are on the ground there that are weaving together this false narrative. It is then being laundered and elevated through Fox News, then validated by the White House when he brings them to ... the White House to actually have this big meeting about antifa and all this insurrection stuff that they're worried about. But it's all lies. It's all a fabrication. And it then gets finally legitimized by the court that sort of takes that spin and puts a stamp of approval on it when it makes these sort of judicial decisions." - YouTube www.youtube.com

Fox News host Sandra Smith repeatedly talked over a guest after he mentioned a sophomoric AI-generated video President Donald Trump posted to social media on the day of massive protests against his administration. The Daily Beast reported Monday that former Biden administration official Dan Koh, who is running as a Democrat for a U.S. House district in Massachusetts, was abruptly interrupted the moment he brought up the video, which shows the 47th president of the United States flying a jet with "King Trump" written on it, dumping feces on a crowd of protesters. The video featured the song "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins, though the musician later demanded that his song be removed from the video. The video with the song is still live as of this writing. A separate video Trump posted showed Trump donning a crown, putting on a royal cloak, and holding up a sword, interspersed with footage of Democrats kneeling during 2020 racial justice protests. The song "Hail to the King" by Avenged Sevenfold can be heard playing in the background of the second video. Smith had asked him a question about a book by former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, and Koh brought up both videos in the context of last weekend's "No Kings" protests. "Look, in terms of the Democratic Party, this weekend was a good analogy," Koh said in response to Smith asking if he was "buying what Karine Jean-Pierre is selling." "I saw Democrats, Republicans, Independents, who were protesting in the millions against a president who was trying to silence us," he continued. "And the analogy was apt when the president uploaded a video of himself in a king hat—" "—So what, so Dan, sir, are you gonna answer the question?" Smith interjected. "Yes, I will, but please give me a moment," Koh responded. "[The video depicts Trump] literally defecating on people exercising their right to free speech." "OK, so Dan, let’s go back to the question and stick to the point," Smith insisted. Watch the exchange below:Trump literally shat on constitutional rights in a video he uploaded himself.@FoxNews tried to stop me from saying it — directly to him — on air. They failed. Millions are standing up for the country we believe in — and we’re not backing down. We're not afraid. No kings. pic.twitter.com/BbgCWtn5tP — Dan Koh (@dank) October 20, 2025

The top Senate Republican torpedoed one of President Donald Trump's most controversial nominees on Monday night, flatly asserting, "he's not gonna pass." Sen. John Thune (R-SD) told CNN in a statement that he hopes the White House pulls Trump's nomination for Paul Ingrassia, a right-wing podcaster whom Trump nominated to lead the Office of the Special Counsel. Thune's comment comes after Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) also said Monday that he would not support Ingrassia, setting up a potential fight between MAGA heavyweights and the president. The comments come after Politico published a report detailing racist and offensive text messages Ingrassia sent to colleagues. Ingrassia said the federal MLK Day holiday needed to be "sent to the 7th pit of hell." Ingrassia also said he has a bit of a "Nazi streak" in him, according to the report. "A short time ago, the Senate's top Republican majority leader, John Thune, said he hopes the white house withdraws him from consideration. 'He's not going to pass,' Senator Thune says," reported CNN's John Berman. Ingrassia was expected to appear before a Senate committee for a confirmation hearing on Thursday

White House officials scrambled Monday to rescue President Donald Trump's peace plan for Israel and Gaza amid fears the Israeli prime minister could blow up the deal. Trump's plan involves Gaza governance by a temporary committee led by the U.S. president with involvement from figures including Tony Blair. It also calls for Hamas to disarm and release all hostages. Hamas has agreed to release hostages and relinquish power, but has put its foot down on other issues involving Gaza and Palestinian rights. On Monday night, The New York Times reported that the White House "scrambled to hold together the Gaza peace deal," becoming "increasingly concerned that Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, could dismantle the U.S.-brokered agreement." Vice President JD Vance was flying to Israel to join forces with Trump’s Middle East peace envoy and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who helped negotiate the deal. "Several Trump officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations, said there is concern within the administration that Mr. Netanyahu may vacate the deal. The strategy now, the officials say, is for Mr. Vance, Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner to try to keep Mr. Netanyahu from resuming an all-out assault against Hamas," the report said. Notably, Witkoff and Kushner both acknowledged the situation was “very delicate” and that Trump's deal could collapse, a senior administration official told the Times. Israel launched at least 20 airstrikes and blocked all aid delivery to Gaza on Sunday as Hamas rejected US accusations that it was preparing to violate the ceasefire.

A top Pentagon spokesperson joined the chorus of President Donald Trump administration officials offering childish responses to questions from journalists, according to a new report. HuffPost reported on Monday that Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell told a reporter, "your mom bought it" in response to a question about why Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wore a Russian-colored tie to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week. "When HuffPost asked Hegseth’s aides if he was aware of the praise from Russia and if he had worn the tie previously, Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell responded with the prepared statement: 'Your mom bought it for him — and it’s a patriotic American tie, moron,'" the report reads in part. The comments come at a time when Trump is preparing for a second summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Communications chief Steven Cheung offered a similar response to questions about who chose Budapest as the location for the summit. Budapest is the capital city of Hungary, a country led by Putin ally Viktor Orban. Read the entire report by clicking here.

Lawfare's Anna Bower revealed on Monday that President Donald Trump's newly-appointed prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia, Lindsey Halligan, reached out to her on Signal and repeatedly melted down, accusing her of false reporting and bias without explaining anything she reported incorrectly — then demanded that it all be retroactively considered "off the record." Halligan, a defense lawyer with no significant prosecutorial experience, was brought in to replace a seasoned U.S. attorney whom Trump wanted gone for failing to find the evidence to prosecute his political enemies. Since then, she has filed indictments against former FBI Director James Comey for false statements and obstruction, and New York Attorney General Letitia James for bank fraud — but these cases have been riddled with mistakes and are widely panned by legal experts as flimsy. The particular analysis from Bower that Halligan took issue with was a pair of posts on X that examined New York Times reporting about how James used the real estate Halligan claims was improperly classified to commit mortgage fraud. Bower noted that this was "important exculpatory evidence," but Halligan disagreed. “What am I getting wrong?” asked Bower, to which Halligan said, “Honestly, so much. I can’t tell you everything but your reporting in particular is just way off.” She accused Bower of jumping to “biased conclusions” instead of “truly looking into the evidence.” When Bower asked if the Times got something wrong, Halligan replied, “Yes they did but you went with it! Without even fact checking anything!!!!” However, despite Bower repeatedly pressing her over the course of days, Halligan would not elaborate on any factual error from either her or the original Times reporting, while repeatedly saying she couldn't explain because of grand jury secrecy. "Avoiding grand jury secrecy violations is one reason Justice Department officials so frequently offer 'no comment' on ongoing investigations or cases, preferring instead that the department 'speak through its court filings.' And that’s why my dialogue with Halligan struck me as so unusual," wrote Bower. "Reaching out to a reporter to complain about tweets concerning another publication’s coverage of grand jury testimony seemed uncharacteristically risky for a government lawyer." Eventually, after a number of back and forths, Bower wrote, “What was the purpose of reaching out to me, if not to open a line of communication? Was it just to insult my reporting?” To which Halligan responded, “No, it was for you to correct it, which you refused to do.” “I am more than happy to correct it, but you still haven’t told me what’s incorrect! What precisely is wrong with the tweet?” wrote Bower. Halligan didn't respond to this. Rounding off the whole exchange, just after Bower spoke to the Justice Department asking for comment before she went live with all this, Halligan messaged her again, saying, “By the way — everything I ever sent you is off record. You’re not a journalist so it’s weird saying that but just letting you know.” “I’m sorry, but that’s not how this works. You don’t get to say that in retrospect,” wrote Bower. But despite making this point multiple times, Halligan persisted. “It’s obvious the whole convo is off record. There’s disappearing messages and it’s on signal. What is your story? You never told me about a story.”

During the height of his third campaign for the White House, President Donald Trump was reportedly obsessed with helping one of his recently divorced top advisors find a date, and frequently made objectionable comments about female members of his Mar-a-Lago club. That's according to Zeteo journalist Asawin Suebsaeng, who recently reported that sources close to Trump said he went out of his way to offer "wingman" services to Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought. Zeteo editor-in-chief Mehdi Hasan wrote in his publication's recent newsletter that he felt he needed "to go take a shower" after reading about what Suebsaeng's sources confided. "By mid-2024, Donald Trump and Project 2025 architect Russell Vought were talking on the phone fairly regularly. But it often wasn’t about policy," Suebsaeng reported. "Trump – when he had downtime from campaigning and plotting his fascist presidency – appeared preoccupied with getting the recently divorced Vought laid, two knowledgeable sources tell me." "Trump spoke to Vought, a self-described Christian nationalist who’s now one of the president’s most hardline enforcers, about the 'gorgeous' and 'beautiful ladies' who roam Trump’s club, Mar-a-Lago, so often that it 'weirded out' some of his advisers, in one source’s words," he continued. "Trump offered to be Vought’s wingman. And Trump spoke crudely of all the 'p——' that Vought would surely get as the president’s favorite 'bachelor.'" Vought is regarded not only as a key figure behind the far-right authoritarian Project 2025 playbook but as the brainchild behind the administration's wave of mass firings across federal agencies that defined the early months of his second term. He also proposed using the government shutdown as justification to implement permanent mass layoffs at various agencies, whereas most federal workers are merely furloughed until the government reopens. The OMB director also made headlines earlier this month, after neighbors in his Virginia suburb spoke out publicly about their opposition to his policies. Many put signs on their lawns expressing solidarity with federal workers, and Mother Jones noted that Vought's neighborhood is full of sidewalk chalk messages trolling the Trump administration official like "ASK YOUR NEIGHBOR RUSS VOUGHT ABOUT PROJECT 2025." "People have strong feelings about him," one of Vought's neighbors told Mother Jones. "Everyone knows someone who lost their jobs." Click here to read Suebsaeng's report in Zeteo's newsletter.

Cattle ranchers pushed back on Monday against one of President Donald Trump's latest plans to try and lower domestic beef prices. Trump announced last week that he is considering purchasing beef from Argentina to help lower the cost for American consumers. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that beef prices hit record-highs this year amid Trump's trade war with China and other countries. "We would buy some beef from Argentina," Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday. "If we do that, that will bring our beef prices down." Cattle ranchers and industry experts pushed back against the plan. “This plan only creates chaos at a critical time of the year for American cattle producers, while doing nothing to lower grocery store prices,” Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, told NBC News on Monday. “Argentina also has a history of foot-and-mouth disease,” Woodall added, “which if brought to the United States, could decimate our domestic livestock production.” “At a time when we should be finding ways to help American farmers deal with this chaotic trade policy, it’s extremely disappointing to see us bailing out Argentina and Argentina farmers in the process,” Aaron Lehman, president of the Iowa Farmers Union and a soybean grower, told NBC News. Read the entire report by clicking here.

President Donald Trump's bid to gut the federal government as the shutdown rages took another turn Monday as a new court filing showed thousands more federal workers faced "imminent" firings. The Trump administration has already fired thousands of federal workers as a strategy during the shutdown, wielding it as leverage to pressure Democrats in Congress to vote in favor of a stopgap funding measure that would reopen the government. The Department of the Interior plans to "imminently" fire at least 2,000 employees, Notus reported Monday evening. That includes hundreds working at the National Park Service across the Northeast, Southwest, and Pacific West regions, which oversee Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Acadia, and Great Smoky Mountains national parks. The report noted that layoff notices have already been sent to more than 3,000 federal workers since the shutdown kicked off. Last week, a federal judge temporarily blocked the administration from firing workers represented by unions that have sued over the plans.

Former federal prosecutor Michael Moore said Monday that the Trump administration could be in trouble if the court asks it to explain the events leading up to the Department of Justice (DOJ) bringing charges against former FBI director James Comey. "What was the motivation for bringing this case? What emails exist out there? What directives have we seen from the attorney general to this newly appointed U.S. attorney down there? What what was the motivation behind bringing the prosecution? That I think is going to make the government squirm more than anything else, because it really puts them on the hot seat, and it sort of opens up their hamper of dirty laundry as they think about the case," he said during a segment on CNN Monday. When asked about the idea of tossing the case on the technicality that Lindsey Halligan was not appropriately appointed because she was appointed after a 120-day temporary term had already been filled, Moore said, "I think that's a good motion, too. There's a federal statute that actually says that you would appoint a temporary U.S. attorney, an interim U.S. attorney for 120 days. If that expires, then the judge can appoint can appoint somebody here." He continued: "Trump has tried to get around that. And the reason that there's this statute is so that administrations can't bypass Congress's right to advise and consent or the senate's right to hear these candidates and approve them." Earlier on Monday, Comey's legal team filed a motion arguing that charges against him should be dismissed because of what they call “smoking gun evidence” of improper political influence. Comey is charged with one count of making a false statement to Congress and another of obstructing a congressional proceeding. But in the filings, his attorneys accuse President Donald Trump of directing the (DoJ) to prosecute Comey because of longstanding animus — and they point to the ex‑President’s public and social‑media attacks on Comey as evidence. “The indictment in this case arises from multiple glaring constitutional violations and an egregious abuse of power by the federal government," the filing said. A centerpiece of the defense’s argument is a collection of 60 pages of social media posts attributed to Trump, in which he repeatedly criticized Comey and called for him to be prosecuted. - YouTube www.youtube.com

A weekend call between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy devolved into a "shouting match," and Russian state media pundits are now declaring it the result of Russian President Vladimir Putin's influence over Trump. Mediaite reported Monday on a recent segment by CNN's Erin Burnett, in which she highlighted comments by Russian media bragging about Trump being captive to Putin. Burnett said Trump's "complete 180" on supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia prompted Russian propagandists to refer to the U.S. president as "Putin's puppet." Burnett then played a clip captured by Daily Beast columnist Julia Davis, who runs the Russian Media Monitor account. Davis reported that on the show "Sunday Evening with Vladimir Solovyov," one pundit said Trump is simply playing Putin's game when it comes to Ukraine. "Putin understands Trump all too well. Trump doesn’t understand Putin," the guest said. "Putin can manipulate him very well and lead Trump by his nose." During the call with Zelenskyy, Trump didn't commit to sending Ukraine long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles despite earlier suggestions that he may do so. Davis wrote Monday that one Russian media host said that Trump was simply teasing Zelenskyy with the potential for Tomahawks "like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey." He further opined that in the coming summit in Budapest, Hungary between Trump and Putin, if Zelenskyy ends up attending it will be "solely to sign his capitulation." As CNBC reported, the source of the tension on the call between Trump and Zelenskyy came from Trump insisting that the Ukrainian leader accept Putin's conquest of Ukraine's Donbas territory in the east for the sake of ceasing hostilities. The initial 2022 invasion was over the Donbas territory, and came eight years after Russia illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula. “It’s cut up right now, I think 78 percent of the land is already taken by Russia," Trump said on Sunday. "They should stop right now at the battle lines. ... Go home, stop killing people and be done."

Corruption in American politics is increasingly emerging as a major issue for voters and parties alike, with sizable majorities expressing concerns about the influence of money in government. In an article for MSNBC published Monday, political commentator Steve Benen argued that the conditions surrounding the current Republican‑controlled Washington closely mirror those of the mid‑2000s — when an unpopular GOP president, a same‑party Congress, and widespread ethics scandals paved the way for a Democratic resurgence. "GOP officials see evidence of a growing public backlash to the party’s overreach and flailing agenda ahead of the midterm elections, all of which is made more complicated by a series of corruption and ethics controversies," Benen wrote. He noted that in 2005-06, with George W. Bush in his second term and his party leading both the House and Senate, several Republican members were ensnared in corruption scandals – Tom DeLay, Duke Cunningham, Bob Ney and Mark Foley, among others – which opened the door for Democrats to retake both chambers. Benen argued that “two decades later, conditions appear ripe for a sequel.” He pointed to a growing roster of Republican controversies – from the White House border czar Tom Homan allegedly accepting $50,000 in cash in a bag, to a Florida congressman facing a restraining order, to a Pennsylvania representative running afoul of ethics rules over stock trades. He also cited ethics woes involving Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s investigations by the Pentagon inspector general, and a federal probe of Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN). On the judiciary side, he noted that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas “has faced so many ethics allegations that it became challenging to keep up with all of them.” He observed that President Donald Trump, now a convicted felon, “is practically a pioneer when it comes to corruption, not only abusing government agencies and processes, but also using his position to enrich himself and his family.” While many of those implicated have denied wrongdoing, and the phrase “culture of corruption” is not as prominent as two decades ago, Benen emphasized that polls consistently show Americans are deeply concerned about corruption. He concluded that this issue is likely to become a key campaign theme as the midterm elections approach.

Lindsey Halligan, the interim U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia chosen by President Donald Trump, directly messaged legal journalist Anna Bower on the Signal messaging app about an ongoing federal prosecution she’s overseeing – behavior legal experts say breaks long‑standing norms for how prosecutors communicate with the press. Bower reported in an article published by Lawfare Monday that on Saturday, Oct. 11, she received a text: “Anna, Lindsey Halligan here.” Bower verified Halligan's identity by getting a correct answer on where they first met and who they were with, and by finding her cell phone number via public records and seeing that Signal immediately associated the number with the "Lindsey Halligan" who messaged her. Over the next 33 hours, Halligan messaged her repeatedly about the case against New York Attorney General Letitia James. According to Bower, Halligan criticized her reporting (and her summaries of the New York Times' reporting) and included references to grand jury matters – even while acknowledging she could not disclose protected information. Bower writes that “she never said a word suggesting that she was not ‘on the record.’” "I reminded Halligan that it was she who had approached me to tell me that I’d compounded or repeated something inaccurate in the Times’s account of Thompson’s testimony," Bower wrote, recalling that she told Halligan: "I am happy to correct it, but I can’t do so without a sense of what I supposedly got wrong." 'Continue to do what you have been and you’ll be completely discredited when the evidence comes out,' Halligan replied. "I still wasn’t sure what I’d supposedly gotten wrong, or why she’d contacted me, or what to make of it all," Bower wrote. The journalist noted that federal prosecutors can typically engage with media, but Bower and her editor say they couldn’t recall a U.S. attorney reaching out personally to a reporter about a case that the prosecutor is actively handling. The sequence – informal texting, self‑initiated outreach, and mention of grand jury matters – has raised concern among former officials and journalists. Halligan was installed after her predecessor, Erik Siebert (who Trump appointed to the Eastern District of Virginia in May) declined to bring the case against James. Critics say her appointment and the timing suggest political motivations. The text exchange underscores three major worries: Whether the prosecution is free from political influence, whether standard grand jury secrecy is being upheld and whether conventional channels of communication between prosecutors and journalists have been sidestepped. While nothing in the messages proves impropriety on its own, the episode highlights a changing dynamic — where prosecutorial discretion, presidential influence and public communications converge in unexpected ways. The correspondence underscores how Halligan may be operating not simply as an independent prosecutor but as someone aligned with the president’s political agenda. Second, by invoking grand jury language, the communications touch on one of the most closely guarded aspects of federal criminal procedure — raising concerns about norms and prosecutorial discretion. Legal commentators already have expressed concerns that Halligan — a former insurance attorney who has never prosecuted a case — lacks necessary experience and that her appointment signals a broader shift in how politically charged cases are being handled.