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36Kraushaar: The Divorce Between the Democratic Party and AIPAC Has Already Happened
Jewish Insider's Josh Kraushaar said the Democratic Party has already completed its "divorce" from AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee) as vocally anti-Israel candidates lead in primaries across the country, Tuesday on the RealClearPolitics podcast. "I've never seen, within one party, the perception of the state of Israel drop so precipitously," he said. "A lot of it is social media. A lot of it is that Trump likes Israel, so you see the partisanship in action where Democrats are now against Israel." AIPAC has backed pro-Israel candidates in both parties for years. "But this year they're running into headwinds because Democratic voters have turned on Israel," Kraushaar said. "In some cases, it's become a litmus test among a lot of Democratic activists-they don't even want to consider supporting a candidate who is backed by AIPAC." He pointed to Rep. Haley Stevens as an example-a liberal Democrat with establishment backing who wins in a swing district. She is polling third in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary behind two candidates who have called the Gaza war a "genocide." "She was booed loudly at her own state party convention. It's obvious why-because of her longstanding support for Israel and Jews. That drew loud boos from a noticeable faction within the state party," Kraushaar said about Stevens. "She represents a district with a large number of Jewish constituents and has always had a solid pro-Israel record." "I think it goes beyond Middle East policy," he said. "You're hearing Democrats in Michigan saying on the record that antisemitism has reached levels in their party they've never seen before. You're seeing it in real time-at political events and conventions. This extremism that was tolerated initially is now metastasizing into some uglier elements." "You remember the 2010 Tea Party wave. It was a strong year for Republicans, but some candidates-like Christine 'I'm not a witch' O'Donnell-couldn't win otherwise winnable races because they were seen as extreme," he continued. "But compared to some current Democratic candidates like Graham Platner in Maine and Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan-leading candidates for Senate nominations-Christine O'Donnell seems normal." "The big question in the Jewish community is: Is this just true of vocally pro-Israel Democrats, or is it for all Jews?" RCP's Tom Bevan asked: "Not a single member of the Pennsylvania Democratic delegation has endorsed Sen. John Fetterman for reelection. Is he a dead man walking because of his support for Israel?" "Fetterman's staff resigned early on after Oct. 7 because they couldn't tolerate his support for Israel," Kraushaar recalled. "That was the moment where he became estranged-not just from parts of the party, but even from his own team." "He could still face a serious primary challenge because of his stance on Israel," he said about Fetterman. "On many issues-especially social and economic ones-he still aligns with Democrats." "The fact that it's now unusual-and that he's being pushed out for it-says everything about the direction of the party."
Kraushaar: The Divorce Between the Democratic Party and AIPAC Has Already Happened
Jewish Insider's Josh Kraushaar said the Democratic Party has already completed its "divorce" from AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee) as vocally anti-Israel candidates lead in primaries across the country, Tuesday on the RealClearPolitics podcast. "I've never seen, within one party, the perception of the state of Israel drop so precipitously," he said. "A lot of it is social media. A lot of it is that Trump likes Israel, so you see the partisanship in action where Democrats are now against Israel." AIPAC has backed pro-Israel candidates in both parties for years. "But this year they're running into headwinds because Democratic voters have turned on Israel," Kraushaar said. "In some cases, it's become a litmus test among a lot of Democratic activists-they don't even want to consider supporting a candidate who is backed by AIPAC." He pointed to Rep. Haley Stevens as an example-a liberal Democrat with establishment backing who wins in a swing district. She is polling third in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary behind two candidates who have called the Gaza war a "genocide." "She was booed loudly at her own state party convention. It's obvious why-because of her longstanding support for Israel and Jews. That drew loud boos from a noticeable faction within the state party," Kraushaar said about Stevens. "She represents a district with a large number of Jewish constituents and has always had a solid pro-Israel record." "I think it goes beyond Middle East policy," he said. "You're hearing Democrats in Michigan saying on the record that antisemitism has reached levels in their party they've never seen before. You're seeing it in real time-at political events and conventions. This extremism that was tolerated initially is now metastasizing into some uglier elements." "You remember the 2010 Tea Party wave. It was a strong year for Republicans, but some candidates-like Christine 'I'm not a witch' O'Donnell-couldn't win otherwise winnable races because they were seen as extreme," he continued. "But compared to some current Democratic candidates like Graham Platner in Maine and Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan-leading candidates for Senate nominations-Christine O'Donnell seems normal." "The big question in the Jewish community is: Is this just true of vocally pro-Israel Democrats, or is it for all Jews?" RCP's Tom Bevan asked: "Not a single member of the Pennsylvania Democratic delegation has endorsed Sen. John Fetterman for reelection. Is he a dead man walking because of his support for Israel?" "Fetterman's staff resigned early on after Oct. 7 because they couldn't tolerate his support for Israel," Kraushaar recalled. "That was the moment where he became estranged-not just from parts of the party, but even from his own team." "He could still face a serious primary challenge because of his stance on Israel," he said about Fetterman. "On many issues-especially social and economic ones-he still aligns with Democrats." "The fact that it's now unusual-and that he's being pushed out for it-says everything about the direction of the party."
Brzezinski: Senate GOP Hopes SCOTUS Alito "October Surprise" Can Save Majority
MS NOW's Mike Brzezinski discusses a report from The Hill which suggests the resignation of Supreme Court Justice Alito might motivate Republican voters ahead of the November midterms: "Senate Republicans Hope Supreme Court 'Surprise' Could Help Save Majority" MIKA BRZEZINSKI, MS NOW: Republicans in the Senate are reportedly hoping for a Supreme Court surprise that could help save their majority in this November's midterms. The Hill reports that some in the Senate GOP are welcoming the potential retirement of conservative Justice Samuel Alito as an October surprise that could rally Republican-leaning voters to the polls, since President Donald Trump would select his replacement. The Hill report says GOP senators are being careful not to prod Alito publicly, but privately hope a fall retirement announcement could shift several races in their direction. JONATHAN LEMIRE, MSNBC: Yeah, this is really interesting because right now, by any poll, there's a lot of enthusiasm for Democrats and very little for Republicans heading into these midterms, in the wake of higher prices, the war, and the like. But there are Republicans who are hoping for Justice Alito-or Justice Clarence Thomas, who has also been rumored to potentially retire-as a motivating factor for Republicans to come out. Both justices have put it out there that they don't plan to retire. But Democrats are also talking about this. I've spoken to a couple in the last week or so who have said, Wait, there's talk that Alito and Thomas are going to stay-that's actually a smokescreen. They're banking on complacency, and they are going to come out and fulfill that October surprise. So you can do the criminology of this as to what's real and what's not. But what is clear is, if one of these two-if this is real-it would change the stakes this November. JONATHAN MARTIN, POLITICO: Yeah, you and I lived through 2018-otherwise a really good election for Democrats, also Donald Trump's first midterm. But guess what happened in 2018? You had the Brett Kavanaugh story, and that had a huge impact on Senate races. I can think of races like Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota and Claire McCaskill. You know, Phil Bredesen, who we thought had a shot in Tennessee against Marsha Blackburn that year. I can go on and on-races that were thought to be competitive. Democrats just collapsed, especially in red America, because of that Supreme Court story. I'm not saying that Kavanaugh is going to be analogous to whatever happens with the possibility of Alito or Thomas stepping down, but it does present the opportunity to juice the political right at a time when they are demoralized right now. Obviously, Democrats have enthusiasm, and President Trump hasn't given his folks a lot to come out for. So you can see the possibility. But at the same time, as we know, it's really hard to get these folks to step down, no matter who they are on the Court. And I think it's still hard to see them walking away just yet.
RCP Podcast: Are Voters Being 'Deceived' in Virginia? Dems' Divorce From AIPAC, Is PA Turning on Fetterman?
Tuesday on the RealClearPolitics podcast, Tom Bevan, Andrew Walworth, and Carl Cannon discuss the redistricting referendum today in Virginia and what Trump's pick for Fed Chair signals about the future of central bank independence. Jewish Insider's Josh Kraushaar joins the group to talk about the Democratic Party's messy "divorce" from AIPAC, whether the party could ever nominate a Jewish candidate for president, and progressives turning on Sen. John Fetterman over his support for the war in Iran. The group also looks at President Trump's unique sendoff for retiring Apple CEO Tim Cook and discusses what to expect from the White House Correspondents' Dinner this weekend. You can listen to the show live, weekdays at 11:00 a.m. on SiriusXM's Megyn Kelly Channel 111, and then on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and here on our website. *** The show opens with today's referendum in Virginia on a Democratic plan to "temporarily" radically reorganize the state's Congressional districts to their political benefit. They're following the example of Texas and California, but is Virginia's plan so extreme that it could trigger a legal backlash? "This thing is going to the Supreme Court," Carl Cannon predicted. "The language is so egregious and so Orwellian." "Just imagine if a Republican state tried to take a 6-5 delegation and make it 10-1. Democrats would be screaming at the top of their lungs," Tom Bevan added. "But here they are on the opposite side, going 100% all the way to the max to make this happen. Stunning hypocrisy." *** At minute 11, the group pivots to Kevin Warsh's Senate testimony today as President Trump's choice to replace Jerome Powell as the next Chairman of the Federal Reserve, and whether Trump's comments about interest rates have made it impossible for the Fed to continue to appear "independent." Watch: Full Confirmation Hearing: Sen. Elizabeth Warren Grills Trump's Choice For Fed Chair, Kevin Warsh "How independent will he be after he saw what happened to Powell? Calling him names, sending the Justice Department after him... We've never had anything like this," Cannon said. "And then, if he does what Trump wants, people are going to treat him like a toady. Trump has made this a really difficult job." "This might be the second-worst job in America -- next to coaching the Dallas Cowboys," Tom Bevan quipped. "The other thing he must have in his head is that Jerome Powell was appointed by Donald J. Trump back in 2017," Andrew Walworth added. *** At minute 18, the editor in chief of Jewish Insider, Josh Kraushaar, joins the panel. First, they discuss Sen. Chris Murphy facing criticism for replying "awesome" to a report about Iranian "shadow fleet" vessels running the U.S. blockade of the Persian Gulf. Lloyd's of London: At Least 26 Iranian 'Shadow Fleet' Vessels Bypass U.S. Blockade Kraushaar's piece in Jewish Insider: Sen. Chris Murphy applauds Iranian ships against U.S. Navy "Murphy claims he was being sarcastic, but he's a United States senator!" Kraushaar said. "But a very reputable polling firm showed this week that among younger, under-50 Democrats, who are Chris Murphy's political base, as many of them have a favorable view of Iran as they do of Israel and the war." *** At minute 25, the group turns to the growing trend in the Democratic Party where opposition to AIPAC has become a sort of litmus test among progressives. Is being Jewish disqualifying in this Democratic Party today? "The divorce has already happened," Kraushaar said. "A lot of Democrats, beyond just the most left-wing and most anti-Israel candidates, are running against AIPAC in their primaries and even after they've already won the nomination." Washington Post: Will Pennsylvania Turn On John Fetterman? Wall Street Journal: Alan Dershowitz: I've Been a Democrat Since 1959. Now I'm Joining the GOP "There's an increasingly extreme horseshoe dynamic where the craziest things that you never would have seen in our politics are embraced by candidates. You're seeing this more on the left and right now, especially in the context of the Middle East war. And there are no political consequences for it," he said. "The crazier the candidate, the more Democrats seem to like them these days." *** Finally, at minute 38, the group laughs about President Trump's unique sendoff to Tim Cook (a.k.a. "Tim Apple"), who is stepping down as the CEO of Apple after 16 years. Truth Social: Trump: "I Was Very Impressed With Myself to Have the Head of Apple Calling to Kiss My Ass." "He's the president of the United States, but he's impressed with himself because Tim Cook called him. That just doesn't track," Carl Cannon said. "It's classic Trump," Tom Bevan said. "There's a level of insecurity there, which is why he's always after the media. He wants the media attention, and then he gets it, but it's not the way he wants, so he attacks the media." *** Don't miss a single episode of the RealClearPolitics weeknight radio show – subscribe at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
RCP Podcast: Are Voters Being 'Deceived' in Virginia? Dems' Divorce From AIPAC, Is PA Turning on Fetterman?
Tuesday on the RealClearPolitics podcast, Tom Bevan, Andrew Walworth, and Carl Cannon discuss the redistricting referendum today in Virginia and what Trump's pick for Fed Chair signals about the future of central bank independence. Jewish Insider's Josh Kraushaar joins the group to talk about the Democratic Party's messy "divorce" from AIPAC, whether the party could ever nominate a Jewish candidate for president, and progressives turning on Sen. John Fetterman over his support for the war in Iran. The group also looks at President Trump's unique sendoff for retiring Apple CEO Tim Cook and discusses what to expect from the White House Correspondents' Dinner this weekend. You can listen to the show live, weekdays at 11:00 a.m. on SiriusXM's Megyn Kelly Channel 111, and then on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and here on our website. *** The show opens with today's referendum in Virginia on a Democratic plan to "temporarily" radically reorganize the state's Congressional districts to their political benefit. They're following the example of Texas and California, but is Virginia's plan so extreme that it could trigger a legal backlash? "This thing is going to the Supreme Court," Carl Cannon predicted. "The language is so egregious and so Orwellian." "Just imagine if a Republican state tried to take a 6-5 delegation and make it 10-1. Democrats would be screaming at the top of their lungs," Tom Bevan added. "But here they are on the opposite side, going 100% all the way to the max to make this happen. Stunning hypocrisy." *** At minute 11, the group pivots to Kevin Warsh's Senate testimony today as President Trump's choice to replace Jerome Powell as the next Chairman of the Federal Reserve, and whether Trump's comments about interest rates have made it impossible for the Fed to continue to appear "independent." Watch: Full Confirmation Hearing: Sen. Elizabeth Warren Grills Trump's Choice For Fed Chair, Kevin Warsh "How independent will he be after he saw what happened to Powell? Calling him names, sending the Justice Department after him... We've never had anything like this," Cannon said. "And then, if he does what Trump wants, people are going to treat him like a toady. Trump has made this a really difficult job." "This might be the second-worst job in America -- next to coaching the Dallas Cowboys," Tom Bevan quipped. "The other thing he must have in his head is that Jerome Powell was appointed by Donald J. Trump back in 2017," Andrew Walworth added. *** At minute 18, the editor in chief of Jewish Insider, Josh Kraushaar, joins the panel. First, they discuss Sen. Chris Murphy facing criticism for replying "awesome" to a report about Iranian "shadow fleet" vessels running the U.S. blockade of the Persian Gulf. Lloyd's of London: At Least 26 Iranian 'Shadow Fleet' Vessels Bypass U.S. Blockade Kraushaar's piece in Jewish Insider: Sen. Chris Murphy applauds Iranian ships against U.S. Navy "Murphy claims he was being sarcastic, but he's a United States senator!" Kraushaar said. "But a very reputable polling firm showed this week that among younger, under-50 Democrats, who are Chris Murphy's political base, as many of them have a favorable view of Iran as they do of Israel and the war." *** At minute 25, the group turns to the growing trend in the Democratic Party where opposition to AIPAC has become a sort of litmus test among progressives. Is being Jewish disqualifying in this Democratic Party today? "The divorce has already happened," Kraushaar said. "A lot of Democrats, beyond just the most left-wing and most anti-Israel candidates, are running against AIPAC in their primaries and even after they've already won the nomination." Washington Post: Will Pennsylvania Turn On John Fetterman? Wall Street Journal: Alan Dershowitz: I've Been a Democrat Since 1959. Now I'm Joining the GOP "There's an increasingly extreme horseshoe dynamic where the craziest things that you never would have seen in our politics are embraced by candidates. You're seeing this more on the left and right now, especially in the context of the Middle East war. And there are no political consequences for it," he said. "The crazier the candidate, the more Democrats seem to like them these days." *** Finally, at minute 38, the group laughs about President Trump's unique sendoff to Tim Cook (a.k.a. "Tim Apple"), who is stepping down as the CEO of Apple after 16 years. Truth Social: Trump: "I Was Very Impressed With Myself to Have the Head of Apple Calling to Kiss My Ass." "He's the president of the United States, but he's impressed with himself because Tim Cook called him. That just doesn't track," Carl Cannon said. "It's classic Trump," Tom Bevan said. "There's a level of insecurity there, which is why he's always after the media. He wants the media attention, and then he gets it, but it's not the way he wants, so he attacks the media." *** Don't miss a single episode of the RealClearPolitics weeknight radio show – subscribe at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Fetterman: Senate Democrats Cant Admit "Epic Fury" Is On The Right Side Of History
Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. John Fetterman defended his support for the war in Iran, despite being the only Senate Democrat vocally in favor, during an appearance Monday on SiriusXM's "Michael Smerconish Program." JOHN FETTERMAN: Why can't we provide the president the scope to do this? Every single Democrat that says we would never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear bomb - Harris, running for president late in 2024, said that's our top concern, for me. And how the military options must always be on the table. And now here we are, and I've been the only Democrat to support Epic Fury to achieve that goal. Now every single Democrat in the Senate has invested everything that the war is illegal, or dumb, or whatever negative. At this point, why they can't just finally admit that the world would be safer, better, and more secure if Iran had taken from their nuclear capabilities. Because that would force them to acknowledge: yes, we've been wrong for the last 50 days. And what you pointed out too - Iran is elated, because we just have to wait this out and hold on, because the entire Democratic Party is calling it illegal and it's a dumb war and all kinds of terms. Just sit it out, and we'll be okay. ... SMERCONISH, HOST: What's it like with you and your colleagues to be the only person in that caucus who is saying the sort of things that we're both saying here? SEN. FETTERMAN: Well, I know you and I are on the right side of history on this. We both know that it's the right thing to do. It used to be the common view held about Democrats, and now on your show with Tom Friedman, he said the very quiet part aloud. And now why can't we give Trump or Netanyahu a win? You know, I don't care who the win goes to. It's like the big winner is Israel, Middle East, America, the world order, all of that would be the winner. I don't care who it goes to from. So we've become so invested as a party to oppose Trump, even when he might be right on something that I happen to agree in. I follow in that, and it's incredibly toxic politically as a Democrat to consistently vote to support Epic Fury, that goal. So that's much more important to be on that side, to me. I know that's put me in a difficult situation politically. I'm going to remain there because it's fundamentally the truth. Iran wants to destroy Israel and they want to have a nuclear weapon and dictate the Middle East on their own terms. So here we are at the doorstep. Why would we not provide the president and the military enough to finish this off at this point?
Fetterman Rips Democrats, Media: They've Turned Iran Into The Underdog, They're Like Rudy Cheering For Iran
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), in an interview with Kasie Hunt on CNN, criticized Democratic colleagues such as Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) for voting against aid to Israel, calling the move "absurd." Fetterman questioned why some Democrats focus their criticism on Israel instead of directing it toward Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iran. Fetterman likened Democrats and the media to the main character from the major motion picture "Rudy," a film about an underdog who fights to join the Notre Dame college football team. KASIE HUNT: Your colleague, Senator Elissa Slotkin, voted not to send aid to Israel, which a number of other Democrats as well, an overwhelming number of Democrats in the Senate voted for too. But this is what she said in her statement about blocking offensive weapons to Israel. She says this, quote, "The people of Israel, like all people throughout the region, deserve long-term security and peace. But being pro-Israel today is not about simply supporting the political or military agenda of Prime Minister Netanyahu, just like being pro-American should not be equated with loyalty to President Trump. This is a complex truth that many of us who support Israel hold, and it applies to my own patriotism and government as well." What do you say to her about that? SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): That's absurd. She's a Democratic senator. Why aren't you criticizing Iran? Why aren't you criticizing Hamas or Hezbollah or these other kinds of forces? If you have to pick a side here, criticize that. So that's where we're at as a Democratic Party. And you're going to vote against the kinds of critical aid that Israel requires to need to beat back and destroy organizations like Hezbollah. Yeah, like I said, if you have to pick a side in a war, and clearly we have a side, and now I'm proud to stand on the side of Israel and America. And I think these are incredibly positive developments. And now here we are as things kind of continue to wind down. You know, I was been the only Democrat in the Senate, now perhaps left in the entire Congress, that epic fury was necessary, because that contradicts every single thing that every Democrat has said. We can't ever allow Iran to acquire a nuclear bomb. Clearly that they were going to, and they've done something. That's why I support that. And up until 60 days, I'm going to continue to support these things, because that's actually the way the War Power Act was crafted. HUNT: Yeah, I was actually going to follow up with you on that. If this goes past 60 days, will you continue to vote the way that you have and allow the president to continue this effort? Or will you change your vote? FETTERMAN: Well, people just don't realize how the way it works. And they continue to have this vote. I mean, Iran has celebrated this. A lot of people in my party and a lot of people in the media has turned Iran into the underdog. They're like Rudy and putting them up on their shoulders and cheering for Iran at this point. It's absurd. It's absurd. I'm going to back the president. I'm going to back our military in Israel through until that 60 days is triggered. And then there's an opportunity to extend that by 30 days. No matter how many times you're going to vote, no, no, no. Why? Because that just has empowered and emboldened Iran to continue for these things. So I think it seems like it's going to wind down. And people seem to be almost gleeful, people like Tom Friedman saying, well, if Iran, that's a big win for Trump or Netanyahu if Iran surrenders. So that's easy for me. Yes. And so that's what's important to support. And we're heading to a strong end at this point. HUNT: Sir, just to go back to something that you said just a moment ago in your answer, who in your party do you believe is cheering for Iran? FETTERMAN: I'm saying it's like if you are making it seem that America is not the force of good in the world, criticizing America, criticizing Israel. You have Iran, what they've done, the kinds of outrage with Iranians massacring tens and tens of thousands of Iranians just recently for that. Now, if you're going to continue to vote against our military, if you're proud to vote against defensive kinds of systems like Iron Dome for Israel and you can continue to vote down something that you know is going to fail, that actually must absolutely excite Iran to see the way that many people in the Democratic Party doesn't back the attempts to try to break and destroy the Iranian regime to acquire a nuclear bomb.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna: Thune Is A Problem, It's Him That's Blocking Voter ID
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) calls out Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) for not getting the Save America Act passed in the Senate. On "Straight to the Point," Luna told journalist Catherine Herridge that if Thune can't get the legislation passed, he does "not deserve to come back to Congress." "I think the number one most important issue in the country right now is voter ID," Luna told Herridge. "And if we can't deliver on that, then people like John Thune do not deserve to come back to Congress. Vote him out. He's not up for reelection, but when it's time." CATHERINE HERRIDGE, STRAIGHT TO THE POINT, LA TIMES: Let's take that a step further. I mean, Republicans control the House and the Senate. Why can't they get the Save America Act, which requires evidence that you're an American, and ID to vote? REP. ANNA PAULINA LUNA (R-FL): John Thune is a problem. I do not like what he's done because he has every ability, and really it's him that's blocking voter ID. He has every ability to embrace the standing filibuster or remove the filibuster. Democrats are going to do it anyways. And by the way, the current form of the filibuster is a perversion of what it initially was. But there's this position in the Senate that people need to protect the institution. I get protecting the institution, but let's also talk about what the institution's become. HERRIDGE: Is John Thune weak? HERRIDGE: I think John Thune is doing the wrong thing. I don't know if I would necessarily say weak because he's clearly stubborn. He's not doing voter ID. But he can't honestly blame the Democrats for this because he's the one in control. And so what I would say and what I've continued to say is it's John Thune blocking voter ID. We have FISA up for a vote this week. I'm trying to do everything I can to get voter ID on to FISA. But I'm having to work against my own party to do that. And I'm just one person and it takes multiple votes to do that. Yes, FISA needs reform, but I think the number one most important issue in the country right now is voter ID. And if we can't deliver on that, then people like John Thune do not deserve to come back to Congress. Vote him out. He's not up for reelection, but when it's time.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna: Thune Is A Problem, It's Him That's Blocking Voter ID
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) calls out Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) for not getting the Save America Act passed in the Senate. On "Straight to the Point," Luna told journalist Catherine Herridge that if Thune can't get the legislation passed, he does "not deserve to come back to Congress." "I think the number one most important issue in the country right now is voter ID," Luna told Herridge. "And if we can't deliver on that, then people like John Thune do not deserve to come back to Congress. Vote him out. He's not up for reelection, but when it's time." CATHERINE HERRIDGE, STRAIGHT TO THE POINT, LA TIMES: Let's take that a step further. I mean, Republicans control the House and the Senate. Why can't they get the Save America Act, which requires evidence that you're an American, and ID to vote? REP. ANNA PAULINA LUNA (R-FL): John Thune is a problem. I do not like what he's done because he has every ability, and really it's him that's blocking voter ID. He has every ability to embrace the standing filibuster or remove the filibuster. Democrats are going to do it anyways. And by the way, the current form of the filibuster is a perversion of what it initially was. But there's this position in the Senate that people need to protect the institution. I get protecting the institution, but let's also talk about what the institution's become. HERRIDGE: Is John Thune weak? HERRIDGE: I think John Thune is doing the wrong thing. I don't know if I would necessarily say weak because he's clearly stubborn. He's not doing voter ID. But he can't honestly blame the Democrats for this because he's the one in control. And so what I would say and what I've continued to say is it's John Thune blocking voter ID. We have FISA up for a vote this week. I'm trying to do everything I can to get voter ID on to FISA. But I'm having to work against my own party to do that. And I'm just one person and it takes multiple votes to do that. Yes, FISA needs reform, but I think the number one most important issue in the country right now is voter ID. And if we can't deliver on that, then people like John Thune do not deserve to come back to Congress. Vote him out. He's not up for reelection, but when it's time.
RCP Podcast: Mamdani Making Moves, Confronting 'Two-Tiered Justice System,' New Polling in California Governor Race
Thursday on the RealClearPolitics podcast, Tom Bevan, Andrew Walworth, and Carl Cannon discuss the mayor of New York's plans to create city-owned grocery stores, and investigations into the alleged "two-tiered justice system" targeting Trump supporters and pro-life groups under the Biden administration. They also break down the special election happening today to fill the House seat vacated by now-governor of New Jersey Mikie Sherrill, new polling after the huge shakeup in the race for governor in California, Virginia's referendum on redistricting, and a shocking murder-suicide allegedly committed by former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax. You can listen to the show live, weekdays at 11:00 a.m. on SiriusXM's Megyn Kelly Channel 111, and then on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and here on our website. *** The show opens with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's audacious plan to open a city-subsidized grocery store in Manhattan by 2029 Watch: NYC Mayor Mamdani Announces Plan To Open First City-Run Grocery Store "I can't wait to see how this works out," Tom Bevan said. "But $15-30 million and opening by 2029. I saw someone who owns a bunch of grocery stores in NYC tweet that he opened like 15 of them in three months, and they cost about $375,000 each to stand up. So--only the government could spend $30 million and three years to do one." *** At minute 20, the panel turns to a new referral from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard asking the DOJ to investigate two government employees who worked with the House Democrats, specifically Adam Schiff, to start the first impeachment against Donald Trump in 2019. Paul Sperry writes at RealClearInvestigations: Newly Declassified Docs Reveal Bias of Impeachment 'Whistleblower'" "It's pretty esoteric, and it's technical. If there were crimes committed, they're process crimes. But if you take a step back-and I would encourage people to read Paul Sperry's story-this impeachment looks like it had a very strong partisan component to it from the beginning," Carl Cannon said. "And then, Adam Schiff's office was also leaning on Twitter to censor Paul Sperry for reporting on it!" "So much so, you might even call it a hoax," Bevan added. "He had clear partisan leanings. He went directly to Adam Schiff's folks, and they counseled him on how to initiate the process." *** At minute 29:30, the panel turns to a new 900-page report from the Justice Department accusing former Biden Attorney General Merrick Garland of "selective prosecution based on beliefs," alleging he asked for far harsher prison sentences for pro-lifers than for pro-choicers for equivalent crimes. Is this proof of a biased two-tiered justice system? CBS News: Justice Department releases report accusing Biden-era DOJ of uneven enforcement of FACE Act law *** At minute 35, the panel discusses the special election today in New Jersey's 11th Congressional District, where former Bernie Sanders aide Analela Mejia is expected to win the seat vacated by now-Gov. Mikie Sherrill. Watch: Former Sanders Staffer Analela Mejia Runs in NJ-11 On Promise To "Fight Corrupt System" "This is a seat that Harris won by 9. Sherrill outran Harris and won by 15 a year later," Bevan said. "Nothing is ever a sure thing, but I would bet the farm on this one." *** At minute 37, the panel discusses voters going to the polls in Virginia's redistricting referendum that would shift the congressional map from what is essentially a 6–5 majority for the Democrats now to a 10–1 majority, and an apparent murder-suicide involving former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax. "In the name of democracy. Saving, preserving democracy and fairness and making every vote count. Yeah, it's cynical," Carl Cannon said. Virginia Police: Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax Appears To Have Killed Wife And Self In Murder-Suicide *** Finally, at minute 42, a review of the latest polls after Eric Swalwell -the leading Democrat- dropped out of the race for governor amid sexual abuse allegations. RCP Poll Average: 2026 California Governor - Open "Jungle" Primary "It's our first poll without Eric Swalwell. Emerson put it out this morning, and it is bad news for Democrats," Tom Bevan said. "Steve Hilton first at 17%-up 4 from the last poll. Chad Bianco, the other Republican at 14%-up 3 points. The big question is, where was Swalwell's vote going to go? Well, we have our first answer." Tom Steyer is at 14%, up 4% since the last poll. Xavier Becerra was the biggest gainer. He got 7 points from the last poll. He's now at 10%. Katie Porter is also at 10%. She only got a 2-point bump. Matt Mahan is up 2 points. He's now at 5%," Bevan explained. "The only person who did not get a bump from Eric Swalwell dropping out is Antonio Villaraigosa, who remains at 3%." *** Don't miss a single episode of the RealClearPolitics daily radio show – subscribe at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
RCP Podcast: Mamdani Making Moves, Confronting 'Two-Tiered Justice System,' New Polling in California Governor Race
Thursday on the RealClearPolitics podcast, Tom Bevan, Andrew Walworth, and Carl Cannon discuss the mayor of New York's plans to create city-owned grocery stores, and investigations into the alleged "two-tiered justice system" targeting Trump supporters and pro-life groups under the Biden administration. They also break down the special election happening today to fill the House seat vacated by now-governor of New Jersey Mikie Sherrill, new polling after the huge shakeup in the race for governor in California, Virginia's referendum on redistricting, and a shocking murder-suicide allegedly committed by former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax. You can listen to the show live, weekdays at 11:00 a.m. on SiriusXM's Megyn Kelly Channel 111, and then on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and here on our website. *** The show opens with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's audacious plan to open a city-subsidized grocery store in Manhattan by 2029 Watch: NYC Mayor Mamdani Announces Plan To Open First City-Run Grocery Store "I can't wait to see how this works out," Tom Bevan said. "But $15-30 million and opening by 2029. I saw someone who owns a bunch of grocery stores in NYC tweet that he opened like 15 of them in three months, and they cost about $375,000 each to stand up. So--only the government could spend $30 million and three years to do one." *** At minute 20, the panel turns to a new referral from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard asking the DOJ to investigate two government employees who worked with the House Democrats, specifically Adam Schiff, to start the first impeachment against Donald Trump in 2019. Paul Sperry writes at RealClearInvestigations: Newly Declassified Docs Reveal Bias of Impeachment 'Whistleblower'" "It's pretty esoteric, and it's technical. If there were crimes committed, they're process crimes. But if you take a step back-and I would encourage people to read Paul Sperry's story-this impeachment looks like it had a very strong partisan component to it from the beginning," Carl Cannon said. "And then, Adam Schiff's office was also leaning on Twitter to censor Paul Sperry for reporting on it!" "So much so, you might even call it a hoax," Bevan added. "He had clear partisan leanings. He went directly to Adam Schiff's folks, and they counseled him on how to initiate the process." *** At minute 29:30, the panel turns to a new 900-page report from the Justice Department accusing former Biden Attorney General Merrick Garland of "selective prosecution based on beliefs," alleging he asked for far harsher prison sentences for pro-lifers than for pro-choicers for equivalent crimes. Is this proof of a biased two-tiered justice system? CBS News: Justice Department releases report accusing Biden-era DOJ of uneven enforcement of FACE Act law *** At minute 35, the panel discusses the special election today in New Jersey's 11th Congressional District, where former Bernie Sanders aide Analela Mejia is expected to win the seat vacated by now-Gov. Mikie Sherrill. Watch: Former Sanders Staffer Analela Mejia Runs in NJ-11 On Promise To "Fight Corrupt System" "This is a seat that Harris won by 9. Sherrill outran Harris and won by 15 a year later," Bevan said. "Nothing is ever a sure thing, but I would bet the farm on this one." *** At minute 37, the panel discusses voters going to the polls in Virginia's redistricting referendum that would shift the congressional map from what is essentially a 6–5 majority for the Democrats now to a 10–1 majority, and an apparent murder-suicide involving former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax. "In the name of democracy. Saving, preserving democracy and fairness and making every vote count. Yeah, it's cynical," Carl Cannon said. Virginia Police: Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax Appears To Have Killed Wife And Self In Murder-Suicide *** Finally, at minute 42, a review of the latest polls after Eric Swalwell -the leading Democrat- dropped out of the race for governor amid sexual abuse allegations. RCP Poll Average: 2026 California Governor - Open "Jungle" Primary "It's our first poll without Eric Swalwell. Emerson put it out this morning, and it is bad news for Democrats," Tom Bevan said. "Steve Hilton first at 17%-up 4 from the last poll. Chad Bianco, the other Republican at 14%-up 3 points. The big question is, where was Swalwell's vote going to go? Well, we have our first answer." Tom Steyer is at 14%, up 4% since the last poll. Xavier Becerra was the biggest gainer. He got 7 points from the last poll. He's now at 10%. Katie Porter is also at 10%. She only got a 2-point bump. Matt Mahan is up 2 points. He's now at 5%," Bevan explained. "The only person who did not get a bump from Eric Swalwell dropping out is Antonio Villaraigosa, who remains at 3%." *** Don't miss a single episode of the RealClearPolitics daily radio show – subscribe at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
RCP Podcast: Mamdani Making Moves, Confronting 'Two-Tiered Justice System,' New Polling in California Governor Race
Thursday on the RealClearPolitics podcast, Tom Bevan, Andrew Walworth, and Carl Cannon discuss the mayor of New York's plans to create city-owned grocery stores, and investigations into the alleged "two-tiered justice system" targeting Trump supporters and pro-life groups under the Biden administration. They also break down the special election happening today to fill the House seat vacated by now-governor of New Jersey Mikie Sherrill, new polling after the huge shakeup in the race for governor in California, Virginia's referendum on redistricting, and a shocking murder-suicide allegedly committed by former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax. You can listen to the show live, weekdays at 11:00 a.m. on SiriusXM's Megyn Kelly Channel 111, and then on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and here on our website. *** The show opens with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's audacious plan to open a city-subsidized grocery store in Manhattan by 2029 Watch: NYC Mayor Mamdani Announces Plan To Open First City-Run Grocery Store "I can't wait to see how this works out," Tom Bevan said. "But $15-30 million and opening by 2029. I saw someone who owns a bunch of grocery stores in NYC tweet that he opened like 15 of them in three months, and they cost about $375,000 each to stand up. So--only the government could spend $30 million and three years to do one." *** At minute 20, the panel turns to a new referral from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard asking the DOJ to investigate two government employees who worked with the House Democrats, specifically Adam Schiff, to start the first impeachment against Donald Trump in 2019. Paul Sperry writes at RealClearInvestigations: Newly Declassified Docs Reveal Bias of Impeachment 'Whistleblower'" "It's pretty esoteric, and it's technical. If there were crimes committed, they're process crimes. But if you take a step back-and I would encourage people to read Paul Sperry's story-this impeachment looks like it had a very strong partisan component to it from the beginning," Carl Cannon said. "And then, Adam Schiff's office was also leaning on Twitter to censor Paul Sperry for reporting on it!" "So much so, you might even call it a hoax," Bevan added. "He had clear partisan leanings. He went directly to Adam Schiff's folks, and they counseled him on how to initiate the process." *** At minute 29:30, the panel turns to a new 900-page report from the Justice Department accusing former Biden Attorney General Merrick Garland of "selective prosecution based on beliefs," alleging he asked for far harsher prison sentences for pro-lifers than for pro-choicers for equivalent crimes. Is this proof of a biased two-tiered justice system? CBS News: Justice Department releases report accusing Biden-era DOJ of uneven enforcement of FACE Act law *** At minute 35, the panel discusses the special election today in New Jersey's 11th Congressional District, where former Bernie Sanders aide Analela Mejia is expected to win the seat vacated by now-Gov. Mikie Sherrill. Watch: Former Sanders Staffer Analela Mejia Runs in NJ-11 On Promise To "Fight Corrupt System" "This is a seat that Harris won by 9. Sherrill outran Harris and won by 15 a year later," Bevan said. "Nothing is ever a sure thing, but I would bet the farm on this one." *** At minute 37, the panel discusses voters going to the polls in Virginia's redistricting referendum that would shift the congressional map from what is essentially a 6–5 majority for the Democrats now to a 10–1 majority, and an apparent murder-suicide involving former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax. "In the name of democracy. Saving, preserving democracy and fairness and making every vote count. Yeah, it's cynical," Carl Cannon said. Virginia Police: Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax Appears To Have Killed Wife And Self In Murder-Suicide *** Finally, at minute 42, a review of the latest polls after Eric Swalwell -the leading Democrat- dropped out of the race for governor amid sexual abuse allegations. RCP Poll Average: 2026 California Governor - Open "Jungle" Primary "It's our first poll without Eric Swalwell. Emerson put it out this morning, and it is bad news for Democrats," Tom Bevan said. "Steve Hilton first at 17%-up 4 from the last poll. Chad Bianco, the other Republican at 14%-up 3 points. The big question is, where was Swalwell's vote going to go? Well, we have our first answer." Tom Steyer is at 14%, up 4% since the last poll. Xavier Becerra was the biggest gainer. He got 7 points from the last poll. He's now at 10%. Katie Porter is also at 10%. She only got a 2-point bump. Matt Mahan is up 2 points. He's now at 5%," Bevan explained. "The only person who did not get a bump from Eric Swalwell dropping out is Antonio Villaraigosa, who remains at 3%." *** Don't miss a single episode of the RealClearPolitics daily radio show – subscribe at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
RCP Podcast: Mamdani Making Moves, Confronting 'Two-Tiered Justice System,' New Polling in California Governor Race
Thursday on the RealClearPolitics podcast, Tom Bevan, Andrew Walworth, and Carl Cannon discuss the mayor of New York's plans to create city-owned grocery stores, and investigations into the alleged "two-tiered justice system" targeting Trump supporters and pro-life groups under the Biden administration. They also break down the special election happening today to fill the House seat vacated by now-governor of New Jersey Mikie Sherrill, new polling after the huge shakeup in the race for governor in California, Virginia's referendum on redistricting, and a shocking murder-suicide allegedly committed by former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax. You can listen to the show live, weekdays at 11:00 a.m. on SiriusXM's Megyn Kelly Channel 111, and then on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and here on our website. *** The show opens with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's audacious plan to open a city-subsidized grocery store in Manhattan by 2029 Watch: NYC Mayor Mamdani Announces Plan To Open First City-Run Grocery Store "I can't wait to see how this works out," Tom Bevan said. "But $15-30 million and opening by 2029. I saw someone who owns a bunch of grocery stores in NYC tweet that he opened like 15 of them in three months, and they cost about $375,000 each to stand up. So--only the government could spend $30 million and three years to do one." *** At minute 20, the panel turns to a new referral from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard asking the DOJ to investigate two government employees who worked with the House Democrats, specifically Adam Schiff, to start the first impeachment against Donald Trump in 2019. Paul Sperry writes at RealClearInvestigations: Newly Declassified Docs Reveal Bias of Impeachment 'Whistleblower'" "It's pretty esoteric, and it's technical. If there were crimes committed, they're process crimes. But if you take a step back-and I would encourage people to read Paul Sperry's story-this impeachment looks like it had a very strong partisan component to it from the beginning," Carl Cannon said. "And then, Adam Schiff's office was also leaning on Twitter to censor Paul Sperry for reporting on it!" "So much so, you might even call it a hoax," Bevan added. "He had clear partisan leanings. He went directly to Adam Schiff's folks, and they counseled him on how to initiate the process." *** At minute 29:30, the panel turns to a new 900-page report from the Justice Department accusing former Biden Attorney General Merrick Garland of "selective prosecution based on beliefs," alleging he asked for far harsher prison sentences for pro-lifers than for pro-choicers for equivalent crimes. Is this proof of a biased two-tiered justice system? CBS News: Justice Department releases report accusing Biden-era DOJ of uneven enforcement of FACE Act law *** At minute 35, the panel discusses the special election today in New Jersey's 11th Congressional District, where former Bernie Sanders aide Analela Mejia is expected to win the seat vacated by now-Gov. Mikie Sherrill. Watch: Former Sanders Staffer Analela Mejia Runs in NJ-11 On Promise To "Fight Corrupt System" "This is a seat that Harris won by 9. Sherrill outran Harris and won by 15 a year later," Bevan said. "Nothing is ever a sure thing, but I would bet the farm on this one." *** At minute 37, the panel discusses voters going to the polls in Virginia's redistricting referendum that would shift the congressional map from what is essentially a 6–5 majority for the Democrats now to a 10–1 majority, and an apparent murder-suicide involving former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax. "In the name of democracy. Saving, preserving democracy and fairness and making every vote count. Yeah, it's cynical," Carl Cannon said. Virginia Police: Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax Appears To Have Killed Wife And Self In Murder-Suicide *** Finally, at minute 42, a review of the latest polls after Eric Swalwell -the leading Democrat- dropped out of the race for governor amid sexual abuse allegations. RCP Poll Average: 2026 California Governor - Open "Jungle" Primary "It's our first poll without Eric Swalwell. Emerson put it out this morning, and it is bad news for Democrats," Tom Bevan said. "Steve Hilton first at 17%-up 4 from the last poll. Chad Bianco, the other Republican at 14%-up 3 points. The big question is, where was Swalwell's vote going to go? Well, we have our first answer." Tom Steyer is at 14%, up 4% since the last poll. Xavier Becerra was the biggest gainer. He got 7 points from the last poll. He's now at 10%. Katie Porter is also at 10%. She only got a 2-point bump. Matt Mahan is up 2 points. He's now at 5%," Bevan explained. "The only person who did not get a bump from Eric Swalwell dropping out is Antonio Villaraigosa, who remains at 3%." *** Don't miss a single episode of the RealClearPolitics daily radio show – subscribe at Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Schweizer: Swalwell's Sudden Political Death a Strategic Hit Job
Rep. Eric Swalwell's sudden political death was no accident, but a strategic hit job by an unethical California Democratic Party and its media enablers. Swalwell was pushed out for strategic purposes, says investigative journalist Peter Schweizer. Call it the law of the jungle. In this case, Swalwell was running strongly in the leadup to California's June 2 jungle primary election for governor, which will eliminate all but the top two vote-getters of either political party, who then advance to the November election. But with so many Democrat candidates splitting support, Republican Steve Hilton was leading in state polls, so someone had to go. On the Drill Down podcast, Schweizer and co-host Eric Eggers review the body count and identify which ethically challenged members will be next to go. Before this scandal really took off, Steve Hilton, a Republican, led in the polling with 22 percent, Schweizer says. Eric Swalwell had 18 percent, and Chad Bianco, a Republican sheriff in California, was in third place… Along come these allegations against Swalwell. Swalwell's multiple extramarital affairs – including with a Chinese spy known as Fang Fang while he served on the House Intelligence Committee – were known about in Democrat and political press circles for years, as San Francisco political journalist and author Steve Tavares, who first covered Swalwell as a local official in the Bay area, recently said. Suddenly, the whispers became a roar and in just a few days Swalwell suspended his campaign for governor, then resigned from Congress a day later. Bottom line, this is not 'cleaning house.' This was a political assassination designed to preserve the gubernatorial office in California for Democrats, says Schweizer. Now the odds to win it favor Tom Steyer, the billionaire who is looking right now as somebody who has a pretty good chance of becoming governor of California. But this is Congress, America's only native criminal class, as Mark Twain once said, so the backroom deals were already flying. Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, also under fire for admitting a past affair with one of his congressional staffers, hastily announced his immediate retirement from office on Monday. The Swalwell story is the California Democrats' version of the Joe Biden senility story, says Eggers. President Biden's mental decline was discussed quietly for three years in Washington, yet Democrats defended him as fully engaged until his debate performance in June of 2024 fully exposed his frailty. Suddenly, the calls by Democrats for him to drop his re-election bid exploded from thin air. Like Biden, Eric Swalwell was suddenly no longer useful to Democrats, except as a bargaining chip when paired against Gonzales with congressional Republicans to maintain the balance of power in the House. What [Gonzales] should have done was not run for reelection, Schweizer says. Previously, he did not step down because if he had resigned it would have erased that one vote majority for Republicans in the House. It's not like Republicans were pushing hard for him to resign. With Swalwell's paired resignation, the balance is maintained. And there is already another housecleaning swap involving two Florida representatives taking shape. Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is under ethics committee investigation for a brace of charges that she violated campaign finance laws. She has already been criminally charged by the Justice Department with stealing FEMA grant funds and funneling them to her political campaign. She was the CEO of a healthcare services company [during COVID] and then a state agency mistakenly gave her a company about $5 million extra dollars' worth of FEMA relief funds, reports Eggers. Across the aisle, Florida Republican Rep. Cory Mills is under ethics committee investigation on charges he violated campaign finance laws, misused congressional resources and engaged in sexual misconduct or dating violence. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said Tuesday he would review an ongoing investigation into whether Mills (R-Fla.) committed an assault and benefited from federal contracts while in office. There's an incentive for members who are under ethical fire to resign rather than dig in and force a vote by the full House to censure or expel them, as Schweizer notes. The rule is, if you are a current sitting member of Congress, those reports will be publicly released. If you resign or retire, however, they will not. This is what former Rep. Matt Gaetz did when he was in Congress. He was the subject of an ethics investigation -- allegations of sexual misconduct in some form or another. Right before that report was going to come out, he resigned from Congress, so it will never be publicly released, Schweizer explained. So, as far as Eric Swalwell is concerned, Swalwell ends well. For more from Peter Schweizer, subscribe to The DrillDown podcast.
Schweizer: Swalwell's Sudden Political Death a Strategic Hit Job
Rep. Eric Swalwell's sudden political death was no accident, but a strategic hit job by an unethical California Democratic Party and its media enablers. Swalwell was pushed out for strategic purposes, says investigative journalist Peter Schweizer. Call it the law of the jungle. In this case, Swalwell was running strongly in the leadup to California's June 2 jungle primary election for governor, which will eliminate all but the top two vote-getters of either political party, who then advance to the November election. But with so many Democrat candidates splitting support, Republican Steve Hilton was leading in state polls, so someone had to go. On the Drill Down podcast, Schweizer and co-host Eric Eggers review the body count and identify which ethically challenged members will be next to go. Before this scandal really took off, Steve Hilton, a Republican, led in the polling with 22 percent, Schweizer says. Eric Swalwell had 18 percent, and Chad Bianco, a Republican sheriff in California, was in third place… Along come these allegations against Swalwell. Swalwell's multiple extramarital affairs – including with a Chinese spy known as Fang Fang while he served on the House Intelligence Committee – were known about in Democrat and political press circles for years, as San Francisco political journalist and author Steve Tavares, who first covered Swalwell as a local official in the Bay area, recently said. Suddenly, the whispers became a roar and in just a few days Swalwell suspended his campaign for governor, then resigned from Congress a day later. Bottom line, this is not 'cleaning house.' This was a political assassination designed to preserve the gubernatorial office in California for Democrats, says Schweizer. Now the odds to win it favor Tom Steyer, the billionaire who is looking right now as somebody who has a pretty good chance of becoming governor of California. But this is Congress, America's only native criminal class, as Mark Twain once said, so the backroom deals were already flying. Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales, also under fire for admitting a past affair with one of his congressional staffers, hastily announced his immediate retirement from office on Monday. The Swalwell story is the California Democrats' version of the Joe Biden senility story, says Eggers. President Biden's mental decline was discussed quietly for three years in Washington, yet Democrats defended him as fully engaged until his debate performance in June of 2024 fully exposed his frailty. Suddenly, the calls by Democrats for him to drop his re-election bid exploded from thin air. Like Biden, Eric Swalwell was suddenly no longer useful to Democrats, except as a bargaining chip when paired against Gonzales with congressional Republicans to maintain the balance of power in the House. What [Gonzales] should have done was not run for reelection, Schweizer says. Previously, he did not step down because if he had resigned it would have erased that one vote majority for Republicans in the House. It's not like Republicans were pushing hard for him to resign. With Swalwell's paired resignation, the balance is maintained. And there is already another housecleaning swap involving two Florida representatives taking shape. Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is under ethics committee investigation for a brace of charges that she violated campaign finance laws. She has already been criminally charged by the Justice Department with stealing FEMA grant funds and funneling them to her political campaign. She was the CEO of a healthcare services company [during COVID] and then a state agency mistakenly gave her a company about $5 million extra dollars' worth of FEMA relief funds, reports Eggers. Across the aisle, Florida Republican Rep. Cory Mills is under ethics committee investigation on charges he violated campaign finance laws, misused congressional resources and engaged in sexual misconduct or dating violence. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said Tuesday he would review an ongoing investigation into whether Mills (R-Fla.) committed an assault and benefited from federal contracts while in office. There's an incentive for members who are under ethical fire to resign rather than dig in and force a vote by the full House to censure or expel them, as Schweizer notes. The rule is, if you are a current sitting member of Congress, those reports will be publicly released. If you resign or retire, however, they will not. This is what former Rep. Matt Gaetz did when he was in Congress. He was the subject of an ethics investigation -- allegations of sexual misconduct in some form or another. Right before that report was going to come out, he resigned from Congress, so it will never be publicly released, Schweizer explained. So, as far as Eric Swalwell is concerned, Swalwell ends well. For more from Peter Schweizer, subscribe to The DrillDown podcast.
Mark Levin: Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly Are To Blame If Democrats Win Congress For Wanting Trump to Fail
Mark Levin argues that several political right wing commentators who are damaging the Republican Party and conservative movement by trashing it, wanting it and Trump to fail, which could help hand Democrats the House or Senate: MARK LEVIN: It's begun. House Democrats fire articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth. And for what? To create controversy? To stir up the base? To get donations? It's all about power, and it's all about campaigning. Meanwhile, what are the Republicans doing? They're whining to the President, come here, you have to end this thing in Iran, and the gas prices are up, and they don't know how to fight back. They disgust me so often. The Republican establishment does not know how to fight back. CBS News, House Democrats unveiled articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth today, making serious allegations about his handling of the war in Iran and his leadership more broadly. Serious allegations? Seriously, folks? The resolution led by Representative Yasamin Ansari, who the hell is that, of Arizona lists six impeachment articles. Unauthorized war against Iran. Unauthorized war? Well, then you would have impeached 30 presidents and 50 secretaries of defense. Unauthorized war. Reckless endangerment of U.S. service members. Violation to the law of armed conflict and targeting of civilians. Is that not a lie? Targeting civilians? Negligence and reckless handling of sensitive military information. Believe this? Obstruction of congressional oversight. Abuse of power and politicization of the armed forces. Conduct bringing disrepute upon the United States and its armed forces. What a bunch of crap. All a bunch of Stalinists. The Democrats are all Stalinists, but for a couple. That's it. That's it. And according to CBS News, these are serious charges. The impeachment putsch almost certainly won't go anywhere in the House this year, since Republicans have a narrow majority. But its Democrat sponsors could renew their efforts if the party takes control of the chamber following the midterm elections. And ladies and gentlemen, hear me clearly. Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Steve Bannon, Nick Fuentes, Candace Owens, and another half dozen or dozen or so reprobates, grifters, may well hand the Democrat party, the House of Representatives, and maybe even the Senate. Not because they have power. Not because people embrace them. Some of them have big audiences, a lot of which are overseas, and a lot of which are reprobates in this country who have no intention of voting. You know the Republicans can't stand them. You know MAGA can't stand them. You know conservatives can't stand them, because they're not us. They never were us. They come out of media. Some of them are comics. Some of them are just slobs that come out of the basement of their mother's home. They're utterly unaccomplished, every damn one of them. And they're trashing the Republican party. Say what you will, it's a battle within the party. But if we don't have a strong united Republican party and conservative movement going forward, we're going to lose. They want to blame Trump. They want to blame the war. They want to blame me. These people have said, several of them out loud, that they want the Republican party to lose. That they want Donald Trump to fail. Marjorie Trader Gangrene. There you are. Thomas Massie. Bunches of them. And we have the same establishment Republicans who don't know how to talk, who don't know how to fight, who don't know how to do a damn thing. If it wasn't for Donald Trump, they wouldn't even be in the majority. It's like Reagan had to carry them over the finish line. Trump has to carry them over the finish line. Look at the Senate leadership. Look at it. It's weak. The seven-page impeachment resolution claims Hegseth engaged in high crimes and misdemeanors. The constitutional basis for impeachment, it says he has demonstrated willful disregard for the Constitution, abused the powers of his office, acted in a manner grossly incompatible with the rule of law. The just shibboleths. This is just bumper sticker crap. Slogans, which the Democrats are good at. Axios first reported the resolution. Axios is a radical left-wing website. Honestly, I don't know why the White House gives these guys interviews. They are disgusting. The resolution also accuses Hegseth of, now this is how it works, you see. They put this out. They get all the media attention. They get all the headlines. Now you'll say, well, Mark, you're reading it. I'm reading it to dispute it, not to encourage it, and to alert you that he was failing to prevent the use of military force in a manner inconsistent with the law of armed conflict, pointing to civilian casualties, including the February 28 bombing of a girl's school in Iran that killed 168 people. Yeah, Hegseth did that. Did you know that, America? Hegseth did that. Now what about their great hero, Truman, in FDR? They bombed the hell through Europe, and they had to, and we had to, to win. Who the hell is this woman, Mr. Producer? Get that name off the first paragraph and invite her on the program, okay? To discuss impeachment. And then they go on. The media. The media basically describes for the Democrats. The impeachment resolution argues Hegseth is engaged in conduct. They raise his serious concerns of violations of the Geneva Conventions. What they're doing is throwing everything possible against the wall. Geneva Conventions, this, that, and the other thing. Of course not. It cites Hegseth's sharing of details about U.S. military operations in Yemen in a private Signal Group chat. Now, ladies and gentlemen, that was the fault of the person who set up the single, the chat. But regardless, it's an impeachable offense. That's an impeachable offense. Gross negligence in the handling of sensitive and classified military information. He engaged in efforts to obstruct constitutional oversight. So they repeat themselves. Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said the impeachment effort represents just another Democrat trying to make headlines. We got to do better than this. Just another. We got to fight like hell. Fight back. Push back. They're giving aid and comfort to the Iranian Islamist seventh century barbaric regime that has slaughtered hundreds of thousands of its own people over 47 years. That has killed thousands of Americans over 47 years. That tried to assassinate our president. And this Democrat party is giving aid and comfort to the enemy. And that's the way it should be explained. Aid and comfort. Look at the way they treat women. Meanwhile, this is a female member of the House, a radical left-wing kook, whose name I can't even pronounce, out of Arizona, who's heading this up. She should be a focus of criticism, of disrepute, of shame for what she's doing. And this is a dry run for Trump. Because I've already said, if they take the House, they're going to go after Trump. This is an abuse of the impeachment clause, and they don't care. They don't care. Because simultaneous with this, and it's all orchestrated, they want to set up a commission to discuss the 25th Amendment. Now, everybody should be aware now of the 25th Amendment. I've talked about it ad nauseam on radio, ad nauseam on television, ad nauseam on my video podcast. Congress has no role unless the vice president and the majority of the cabinet vote to send to Congress a letter or a statement that the president of the United States is mentally and or physically unfit to be president of the United States. Not that they disagree with him. Now, they're not going to do that. So somebody might say, well, Congress can pass a law, and they can, to change it from a majority of the cabinet to a majority of something else. The problem with that is the president will veto it, and they don't have enough votes to override the veto. So this is all campaign oriented, November oriented, to try and create the impression that something unconstitutional and horrendous has taken place, to rile up the base, to get them excited, because they don't have crap to run on. Not a damn thing. Nothing. Zero.
Mark Levin: Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly Are To Blame If Democrats Win Congress For Wanting Trump to Fail
Mark Levin argues that several political right wing commentators who are damaging the Republican Party and conservative movement by trashing it, wanting it and Trump to fail, which could help hand Democrats the House or Senate: MARK LEVIN: It's begun. House Democrats fire articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth. And for what? To create controversy? To stir up the base? To get donations? It's all about power, and it's all about campaigning. Meanwhile, what are the Republicans doing? They're whining to the President, come here, you have to end this thing in Iran, and the gas prices are up, and they don't know how to fight back. They disgust me so often. The Republican establishment does not know how to fight back. CBS News, House Democrats unveiled articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth today, making serious allegations about his handling of the war in Iran and his leadership more broadly. Serious allegations? Seriously, folks? The resolution led by Representative Yasamin Ansari, who the hell is that, of Arizona lists six impeachment articles. Unauthorized war against Iran. Unauthorized war? Well, then you would have impeached 30 presidents and 50 secretaries of defense. Unauthorized war. Reckless endangerment of U.S. service members. Violation to the law of armed conflict and targeting of civilians. Is that not a lie? Targeting civilians? Negligence and reckless handling of sensitive military information. Believe this? Obstruction of congressional oversight. Abuse of power and politicization of the armed forces. Conduct bringing disrepute upon the United States and its armed forces. What a bunch of crap. All a bunch of Stalinists. The Democrats are all Stalinists, but for a couple. That's it. That's it. And according to CBS News, these are serious charges. The impeachment putsch almost certainly won't go anywhere in the House this year, since Republicans have a narrow majority. But its Democrat sponsors could renew their efforts if the party takes control of the chamber following the midterm elections. And ladies and gentlemen, hear me clearly. Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Steve Bannon, Nick Fuentes, Candace Owens, and another half dozen or dozen or so reprobates, grifters, may well hand the Democrat party, the House of Representatives, and maybe even the Senate. Not because they have power. Not because people embrace them. Some of them have big audiences, a lot of which are overseas, and a lot of which are reprobates in this country who have no intention of voting. You know the Republicans can't stand them. You know MAGA can't stand them. You know conservatives can't stand them, because they're not us. They never were us. They come out of media. Some of them are comics. Some of them are just slobs that come out of the basement of their mother's home. They're utterly unaccomplished, every damn one of them. And they're trashing the Republican party. Say what you will, it's a battle within the party. But if we don't have a strong united Republican party and conservative movement going forward, we're going to lose. They want to blame Trump. They want to blame the war. They want to blame me. These people have said, several of them out loud, that they want the Republican party to lose. That they want Donald Trump to fail. Marjorie Trader Gangrene. There you are. Thomas Massie. Bunches of them. And we have the same establishment Republicans who don't know how to talk, who don't know how to fight, who don't know how to do a damn thing. If it wasn't for Donald Trump, they wouldn't even be in the majority. It's like Reagan had to carry them over the finish line. Trump has to carry them over the finish line. Look at the Senate leadership. Look at it. It's weak. The seven-page impeachment resolution claims Hegseth engaged in high crimes and misdemeanors. The constitutional basis for impeachment, it says he has demonstrated willful disregard for the Constitution, abused the powers of his office, acted in a manner grossly incompatible with the rule of law. The just shibboleths. This is just bumper sticker crap. Slogans, which the Democrats are good at. Axios first reported the resolution. Axios is a radical left-wing website. Honestly, I don't know why the White House gives these guys interviews. They are disgusting. The resolution also accuses Hegseth of, now this is how it works, you see. They put this out. They get all the media attention. They get all the headlines. Now you'll say, well, Mark, you're reading it. I'm reading it to dispute it, not to encourage it, and to alert you that he was failing to prevent the use of military force in a manner inconsistent with the law of armed conflict, pointing to civilian casualties, including the February 28 bombing of a girl's school in Iran that killed 168 people. Yeah, Hegseth did that. Did you know that, America? Hegseth did that. Now what about their great hero, Truman, in FDR? They bombed the hell through Europe, and they had to, and we had to, to win. Who the hell is this woman, Mr. Producer? Get that name off the first paragraph and invite her on the program, okay? To discuss impeachment. And then they go on. The media. The media basically describes for the Democrats. The impeachment resolution argues Hegseth is engaged in conduct. They raise his serious concerns of violations of the Geneva Conventions. What they're doing is throwing everything possible against the wall. Geneva Conventions, this, that, and the other thing. Of course not. It cites Hegseth's sharing of details about U.S. military operations in Yemen in a private Signal Group chat. Now, ladies and gentlemen, that was the fault of the person who set up the single, the chat. But regardless, it's an impeachable offense. That's an impeachable offense. Gross negligence in the handling of sensitive and classified military information. He engaged in efforts to obstruct constitutional oversight. So they repeat themselves. Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said the impeachment effort represents just another Democrat trying to make headlines. We got to do better than this. Just another. We got to fight like hell. Fight back. Push back. They're giving aid and comfort to the Iranian Islamist seventh century barbaric regime that has slaughtered hundreds of thousands of its own people over 47 years. That has killed thousands of Americans over 47 years. That tried to assassinate our president. And this Democrat party is giving aid and comfort to the enemy. And that's the way it should be explained. Aid and comfort. Look at the way they treat women. Meanwhile, this is a female member of the House, a radical left-wing kook, whose name I can't even pronounce, out of Arizona, who's heading this up. She should be a focus of criticism, of disrepute, of shame for what she's doing. And this is a dry run for Trump. Because I've already said, if they take the House, they're going to go after Trump. This is an abuse of the impeachment clause, and they don't care. They don't care. Because simultaneous with this, and it's all orchestrated, they want to set up a commission to discuss the 25th Amendment. Now, everybody should be aware now of the 25th Amendment. I've talked about it ad nauseam on radio, ad nauseam on television, ad nauseam on my video podcast. Congress has no role unless the vice president and the majority of the cabinet vote to send to Congress a letter or a statement that the president of the United States is mentally and or physically unfit to be president of the United States. Not that they disagree with him. Now, they're not going to do that. So somebody might say, well, Congress can pass a law, and they can, to change it from a majority of the cabinet to a majority of something else. The problem with that is the president will veto it, and they don't have enough votes to override the veto. So this is all campaign oriented, November oriented, to try and create the impression that something unconstitutional and horrendous has taken place, to rile up the base, to get them excited, because they don't have crap to run on. Not a damn thing. Nothing. Zero.
Mark Levin: Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly Are To Blame If Democrats Win Congress For Wanting Trump to Fail
Mark Levin argues that several political right wing commentators who are damaging the Republican Party and conservative movement by trashing it, wanting it and Trump to fail, which could help hand Democrats the House or Senate: MARK LEVIN: It's begun. House Democrats fire articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth. And for what? To create controversy? To stir up the base? To get donations? It's all about power, and it's all about campaigning. Meanwhile, what are the Republicans doing? They're whining to the President, come here, you have to end this thing in Iran, and the gas prices are up, and they don't know how to fight back. They disgust me so often. The Republican establishment does not know how to fight back. CBS News, House Democrats unveiled articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth today, making serious allegations about his handling of the war in Iran and his leadership more broadly. Serious allegations? Seriously, folks? The resolution led by Representative Yasamin Ansari, who the hell is that, of Arizona lists six impeachment articles. Unauthorized war against Iran. Unauthorized war? Well, then you would have impeached 30 presidents and 50 secretaries of defense. Unauthorized war. Reckless endangerment of U.S. service members. Violation to the law of armed conflict and targeting of civilians. Is that not a lie? Targeting civilians? Negligence and reckless handling of sensitive military information. Believe this? Obstruction of congressional oversight. Abuse of power and politicization of the armed forces. Conduct bringing disrepute upon the United States and its armed forces. What a bunch of crap. All a bunch of Stalinists. The Democrats are all Stalinists, but for a couple. That's it. That's it. And according to CBS News, these are serious charges. The impeachment putsch almost certainly won't go anywhere in the House this year, since Republicans have a narrow majority. But its Democrat sponsors could renew their efforts if the party takes control of the chamber following the midterm elections. And ladies and gentlemen, hear me clearly. Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Steve Bannon, Nick Fuentes, Candace Owens, and another half dozen or dozen or so reprobates, grifters, may well hand the Democrat party, the House of Representatives, and maybe even the Senate. Not because they have power. Not because people embrace them. Some of them have big audiences, a lot of which are overseas, and a lot of which are reprobates in this country who have no intention of voting. You know the Republicans can't stand them. You know MAGA can't stand them. You know conservatives can't stand them, because they're not us. They never were us. They come out of media. Some of them are comics. Some of them are just slobs that come out of the basement of their mother's home. They're utterly unaccomplished, every damn one of them. And they're trashing the Republican party. Say what you will, it's a battle within the party. But if we don't have a strong united Republican party and conservative movement going forward, we're going to lose. They want to blame Trump. They want to blame the war. They want to blame me. These people have said, several of them out loud, that they want the Republican party to lose. That they want Donald Trump to fail. Marjorie Trader Gangrene. There you are. Thomas Massie. Bunches of them. And we have the same establishment Republicans who don't know how to talk, who don't know how to fight, who don't know how to do a damn thing. If it wasn't for Donald Trump, they wouldn't even be in the majority. It's like Reagan had to carry them over the finish line. Trump has to carry them over the finish line. Look at the Senate leadership. Look at it. It's weak. The seven-page impeachment resolution claims Hegseth engaged in high crimes and misdemeanors. The constitutional basis for impeachment, it says he has demonstrated willful disregard for the Constitution, abused the powers of his office, acted in a manner grossly incompatible with the rule of law. The just shibboleths. This is just bumper sticker crap. Slogans, which the Democrats are good at. Axios first reported the resolution. Axios is a radical left-wing website. Honestly, I don't know why the White House gives these guys interviews. They are disgusting. The resolution also accuses Hegseth of, now this is how it works, you see. They put this out. They get all the media attention. They get all the headlines. Now you'll say, well, Mark, you're reading it. I'm reading it to dispute it, not to encourage it, and to alert you that he was failing to prevent the use of military force in a manner inconsistent with the law of armed conflict, pointing to civilian casualties, including the February 28 bombing of a girl's school in Iran that killed 168 people. Yeah, Hegseth did that. Did you know that, America? Hegseth did that. Now what about their great hero, Truman, in FDR? They bombed the hell through Europe, and they had to, and we had to, to win. Who the hell is this woman, Mr. Producer? Get that name off the first paragraph and invite her on the program, okay? To discuss impeachment. And then they go on. The media. The media basically describes for the Democrats. The impeachment resolution argues Hegseth is engaged in conduct. They raise his serious concerns of violations of the Geneva Conventions. What they're doing is throwing everything possible against the wall. Geneva Conventions, this, that, and the other thing. Of course not. It cites Hegseth's sharing of details about U.S. military operations in Yemen in a private Signal Group chat. Now, ladies and gentlemen, that was the fault of the person who set up the single, the chat. But regardless, it's an impeachable offense. That's an impeachable offense. Gross negligence in the handling of sensitive and classified military information. He engaged in efforts to obstruct constitutional oversight. So they repeat themselves. Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said the impeachment effort represents just another Democrat trying to make headlines. We got to do better than this. Just another. We got to fight like hell. Fight back. Push back. They're giving aid and comfort to the Iranian Islamist seventh century barbaric regime that has slaughtered hundreds of thousands of its own people over 47 years. That has killed thousands of Americans over 47 years. That tried to assassinate our president. And this Democrat party is giving aid and comfort to the enemy. And that's the way it should be explained. Aid and comfort. Look at the way they treat women. Meanwhile, this is a female member of the House, a radical left-wing kook, whose name I can't even pronounce, out of Arizona, who's heading this up. She should be a focus of criticism, of disrepute, of shame for what she's doing. And this is a dry run for Trump. Because I've already said, if they take the House, they're going to go after Trump. This is an abuse of the impeachment clause, and they don't care. They don't care. Because simultaneous with this, and it's all orchestrated, they want to set up a commission to discuss the 25th Amendment. Now, everybody should be aware now of the 25th Amendment. I've talked about it ad nauseam on radio, ad nauseam on television, ad nauseam on my video podcast. Congress has no role unless the vice president and the majority of the cabinet vote to send to Congress a letter or a statement that the president of the United States is mentally and or physically unfit to be president of the United States. Not that they disagree with him. Now, they're not going to do that. So somebody might say, well, Congress can pass a law, and they can, to change it from a majority of the cabinet to a majority of something else. The problem with that is the president will veto it, and they don't have enough votes to override the veto. So this is all campaign oriented, November oriented, to try and create the impression that something unconstitutional and horrendous has taken place, to rile up the base, to get them excited, because they don't have crap to run on. Not a damn thing. Nothing. Zero.
Sen. Tim Sheehy: 'Pretty Slick Judo Move' To Take China's Top Energy Suppliers In Venezuela And Iran Off The Board
Montana Republican Sen. Tim Sheehy told Burgess Everett at a Semafor event this week that he would vote to authorize President Trump to continue military operations in Iran or Venezuela, saying, "this isn't just about defeating Islamic extremists or taking out a socialist narco-trafficking dictator in South America." "This is about removing linchpins that are upholding a world order," he said. "This administration is accused of being nice to Xi and nice to Putin, yet we've taken out the two satellite states that exist as the primary economic drivers of global discounted energy," he said. "Blockading the straits is a pretty awesome judo move," Sheehy said about Trump's response to Iran's failure to come to a deal with the U.S. "Let's be clear: when Iran declares, 'We're going to close the straits,' that's the equivalent of them going nuclear. Thank God they don't have nukes, because if they did, they would be using them when they launch all their missiles at the nearest areas of free people living to try to destroy them." "Their equivalent of going nuclear is closing the straits. That's not their power move-it's their only move. And therefore, they did that quickly." "So us taking that off the table-saying, actually, no, we're going to close it, and the reason we're going to close it is we're going to demine it, we're going to secure it, and we're going to make it safe for passage-is a pretty slick move," he said. BURGESS EVERETT: What about the blockade on the Strait of Hormuz? You know, Iran was blockading it, and now it sounds like the U.S. is going to blockade it. Do you see that working out? Is this a similar strategy to what we're trying to do in Cuba and maybe in Venezuela? SEN. TIM SHEEHY (R-MT): Absolutely. I mean, these are tied together, and I think that's another important issue that hasn't been given fair airtime-really by anybody-is zooming out again and placing the Iranian conflict in the context of larger geopolitical players. The Venezuela move was not unrelated to Iran. The cheap, sanctioned oil that allowed Venezuela and Iran to fund the ghost fleet-the shadow fleet, the underground global oil trade-allowed Russia and China to dodge sanctions. That provides 93% of China's discounted oil, literally buying oil at cents on the dollar. China loved the status quo of a sanctioned Iran and a sanctioned Venezuela because that gave them guaranteed access to a captive oil market where they knew they'd get cheap product exclusively for them. So this isn't just about defeating Islamic extremists. This isn't just about taking out a socialist narco-trafficking dictator in South America. This is about removing linchpins that are upholding a world order where -- this administration is accused of being nice to Xi and nice to Putin, yet we've taken out the two satellite states that exist as the primary economic drivers of global discounted energy. So these are absolutely connected. I think, to your specific question about blockading the straits, it is a pretty awesome judo move when you have their primary leverage. Let's be clear: when Iran declares, We're going to close the straits, that's the equivalent of them going nuclear. Thank God they don't have nukes, because if they did, they would be using them when they launch all their missiles at the nearest areas of free people living to try to destroy them. If you don't think that if they had nukes they'd put them on the tip of those missiles, you're absolutely wrong. They would. Their equivalent of going nuclear is closing the straits. That's not their power move-it's their only move. And therefore, they did that quickly because their regime was dismantled so rapidly and so effectively. So us taking that off the table-saying, actually, no, we're going to close it, and the reason we're going to close it is we're going to demine it, we're going to secure it, and we're going to make it safe for passage-is a pretty slick move. EVERETT: Do you think that, as a senator, you owe it to the service members here to vote to authorize this war? I mean, why haven't we seen that? And do you think that we should do that? I know some senators have been talking about doing an authorization of military force. SHEEHY: I haven't seen one since Syria, and that didn't succeed-that was 13 years ago. And every time this is brought up, I don't criticize the people bringing it up. I say, listen, this is the constitutional role of Congress. If you go back to our founding days-I'm not going to get into a constitutional history discussion-but the Congress of the United States, since the founding of this country, has viciously argued over almost every single military conflict we've had. In fact, my state, Montana-the only person to vote against World War II was the at-large congressional representative for the state of Montana, Jeannette Rankin, who, by the way, was the first woman in Congress, a female member of Congress before women could vote. So kind of an interesting history there, tying to my current seat. So I don't fault anybody for saying, Listen, I think we should vote on this. I will vote against ending it. I will vote for us to continue, for the simple reason that we've been in- EVERETT: Would you vote for an authorization of military force? SHEEHY: Of course, if we had one, but that's not what's being offered. What's being offered is a resolution to end the campaign. EVERETT: But there's an alternative-you could vote to authorize it, to say we do back this as a Congress. And it sounds like you'd be comfortable doing that. SHEEHY: Yeah. EVERETT: How come that hasn't happened? SHEEHY: There is the War Powers Resolution, which says 60 days plus a 30-day withdrawal period-you might have to vote on that.
Schumer: "Operation Epic Failure" Is A Much More Appropriate Name For Trump's War Of Choice
On the Senate floor on Tuesday, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) bashed President Donald Trump and criticized Operation Eric Fury and the War in Iran. SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): Donald Trump declared in his war, sorry just days ago, Donald Trump declared his war in Iran a, quote, total and complete victory, a hundred percent, no question about it. Again, Donald Trump saying about his war, a total and complete victory, a hundred percent, no question about it. But for the American people, for our troops, for our allies, for our economy, there is nothing but questions about it. In fact, to a majority of Americans, it's a total disaster. In just about every way, things are worse today than they were before Trump started his war of choice. The straits of Hormuz, worse. Closed, unstable. The Iranian regime, worse. More entrenched, more radical. Gas prices, worse. Over four dollars a gallon. Iran's nuclear ambitions, worse. They're still intact. And America's standing in the world, worse. As the Europeans and our Asian, Middle Eastern allies, and so many others, are very exasperated with Donald Trump and this country right now. So, strait of Hormuz, worse. Iranian regime change, worse. Gas prices, worse. Iran's nuclear ambition, worse. American credibility, worse. Everything, everything has been made worse by Donald Trump's war of choice. Donald Trump promised total and complete victory. Instead, he delivered total and complete chaos. That's not victory, that's failure. Donald Trump hasn't even clearly articulated what victory would look like, let alone achieve it. Instead, he has lurched from one reckless idea to the next, with no strategy, no endgame, no coalition of allies. And the consequences, unfortunately, are piling up. Russia's oil revenues are surging, buoyed by Donald Trump's decision to ease pressure and destabilize global markets. An adversary that is now, that is fueling the war in Ukraine, is now benefiting from this chaos. And at home, Americans are paying a very high price. Inflation is rising again, driven in part by the spike in energy costs. So, Americans are paying the price there. Mortgage rates are climbing. Consumer confidence has hit record lows. Donald Trump is leading our troops into a literal minefield abroad, and leading American families into an economic minefield here at home. So, let's call Trump's Iran policy for what it is. Not Operation Epic Fury. Operation Epic Failure. Operation Epic Failure is a much more appropriate name for Trump's war of choice. And, 45 days into this war, Congress has been sidelined, because our Republican colleagues refuse to take a strong stand against this war, and duck it completely, because they're afraid of Trump. No hearings, no oversight, no serious oversight, no accountability. Not one. I say to my Republican friends, this is not how democracy conducts a war. That is not what the Constitution allows. So, if Republicans refuse to do their job, Senate Democrats will force the issue. Under the War Powers Act, we will bring a resolution to the floor this week, led by Senator Tammy Duckworth, a combat veteran who understands the true cost of war far more than Donald Trump ever has. And, we will not stop there. If Republicans block it, we will vote again, and again, and again, every single week, until Operation Epic Failure ends, or Congress does its job and authorizes it. Which I know it won't, given how bad this war is. Because our troops deserve a mission, not a mess. They deserve a strategy, not chaos. And, they deserve leaders who understand that sending Americans into harm's way is the most serious decision a nation can make. Our Republican colleagues face a simple choice. Stand with Americans, or stand with Trump's failed war. Stand with our troops, or keep them in harm's way without a plan. Stand with the American people, or keep asking them to pay more for gas, more for groceries, and more for a war that has made everything worse. We will keep forcing that choice. We will keep forcing that choice, my Republican colleagues. You won't be able to keep ducking it. I'd like to thank Senator Kaine for his tremendous leadership on this issue. I'd like to thank Senator Booker and the members of our caucus for working with me to ensure we have these votes week after week, unrelenting, until Republicans are ready to stand up, listen to the pleas of Americans, and do their job. Now, on DHS and the Department of Homeland Security and Reconciliation. And, like Trump's disasters abroad, Republicans are ignoring their disasters domestically as well. Instead of ending Trump's disastrous war in Iran, and addressing the affordability crisis that is crushing working families across the country, Republicans continue to sow chaos here at home by keeping the Department of Homeland Security in a state of shutdown. Democrats put forward common-sense, bipartisan reforms to rein in ICE and Border Patrol's lawless activity. Reforms, I might add, that most Americans support, and that local police departments across the country practice every single day. To be clear, Republicans could open DHS if they wanted to. We also passed twice a bill that would easily fund all of DHS, aside from ICE and CBP. But no, House Republicans would rather bog down the Senate in a partisan clown show with their reconciliation proposal. Why? To placate Stephen Miller and an unelected ideologue that has built a career rooted in cruelty. So let's be clear what Republicans have chosen. Not a clean funding bill with common-sense reforms. Not bipartisan solutions. Because they can't support these things. Instead, they fight them because Trump and Stephen Miller forced them to be opposed to the common-sense proposals we have made that most Americans support. Republicans here in the Senate and the House have chosen chaos. They're dragging the Senate through a painful, arduous, and partisan reconciliation process. Not because it's the best path, but because they cannot and will not rein in ICE and Border Patrol or stop the violence. They want less accountability, not more, because Donald Trump and Stephen Miller told them so. That is disgraceful, dysfunctional, a disservice to the American people. Americans want ICE and Border Patrol reined in. They do not want to see the Senate give ICE and CBP a blank check so that these rogue agencies can continue to act with impunity, unleashing violence and disorder on our streets. They do not want to see an extremist like Stephen Miller calling the shots on American immigration policy. Instead of listening to Americans, Republicans in the House and Senate are obeying their orders from Trump and Stephen Miller on the SAVE Act and election interference. Perhaps it's unsurprising that an administration and a party that is so out of touch with the American electorate and so fearful of a November washout would go to such great lengths to rig the rules in their favor. But that's exactly what Donald Trump and the GOP are doing. Yesterday, the Brennan Center reported that more than half of local elected officials are concerned that political leaders will interfere in their work. We all go to the polls. We see these election workers. They're dedicated. It's an act of patriotism when they sit by the polls and count the votes and administer the election fairly. But Donald Trump and the GOP threaten them. I would be worried, too, based on what we're seeing from Donald Trump's party, if I were an election official. Apparently the GOP has given up on trying to win over the electorate by delivering results, so they're instead trying to change the electorate with their SAVE Act. It would kill online mail and motor registration, forcing Americans to drive sometimes hours to register in person. That's hard and costly in the best of times, but especially when gas is four dollars a gallon. It would purge millions of Americans from the voter rolls. It would make it harder for married women to vote, and it would reject the most common form of IDs Americans use to register. The only thing Republicans are trying to save with this legislation is their own skin in the next election. The only thing they're trying to save is their own skin, because they know they're going down to defeat electorally. If the GOP spent the same time and energy trying to deliver for working families as it does trying to rig the rules, maybe Republicans would have a chance. But that's not what they're doing, and we're going to do everything we can to stop this evil act from ever becoming law. I yield the floor.