Talking Points Memo

This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis. It was originally published at The Conversation. Has President Donald Trump survived the latest and most serious firestorm of controversy over the Epstein scandal? Or has the Trump administration’s handling of the release of information concerning the prosecution of … Some Trump Supporters Regret Their 2024 Votes Over Trump’s Handling of Epstein Files, Per New Poll   Read more

One benefit of what is happening in DC is that Donald Trump is giving every major city a preview of the plan, the model they want to pursue. Only in the every other major city in the country, he’ll lack a key tool: the takeover of the local … Cities Are Getting a PreviewRead more

This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis. It was originally published at Balls and Strikes.  At the behest of President Donald Trump, Texas Republicans are in the midst of making their state even more of a mockery of the concept of representative democracy than … John Roberts Is Responsible For America’s Embarrassing Gerrymandering MessRead more

California Governor Gavin Newsom is plowing ahead with plans to gerrymander California’s congressional map to match the partisan gerrymander speeding to passage in Texas. He’s also been on a nonstop crusade going back a couple weeks — one half elaborate parody, one half frontal assault — using memes, … Let the Race Begin!Read more

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. DOJ Weaponization in Overdrive The FBI showed up early Friday morning at the Maryland home of former Trump I national security adviser John Bolton, apparently executing a court-authorized … Retribution Alert: FBI Raids Home of Trump Nemesis John BoltonRead more

Since directing Texas Republicans to help him steal the House in the midterms, President Trump has been pretty forthcoming about his belief that Republicans are “entitled” to five more seats in Texas, simply because he is popular there.

If you’re in or near Boston I hope you’ll join us on September 25th for a Happy Hour we’re hosting at the Lamplighter Brewing Co in Cambridge. We’re cohosting it with STAT News, the medical news website. STAT co-founder Rick Berke and I will have a quick discussion … Come See Us in Boston on Sept 25thRead more

I’m sure you’ve noticed that we’re getting set to celebrate the 25th anniversary of TPM, what with all the site signage and so forth. I’m not going to get into the precise details because they’re still being ironed out. And our team is putting a lot of time … We’ve Got Fun Plans for TPM’s 25th AnniversaryRead more

With one half of them beaming in from occupied D.C., Kate and Josh are back on the regular schedule to talk the capital takeover, budding Democratic resistance and Trump’s candid election rigging. You can listen to the new episode of The Josh Marshall Podcast here.

TPM is shipping up to Boston! For our final on-the-road event of 2025, we’re joining our friends at STAT News for an evening of conversation and drinks at Lamplighter Brewing Cambridge Crossing on September 25th. The night will begin with a discussion between TPM Founder Josh Marshall and STAT … Join Us in Boston!Read more

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. Meet Bill Pulte, Trump’s Very Useful Idiot President Trump’s attack on yet another Black woman in public office gives away the game — if you were still harboring … How the New Attack on Lisa Cook Gives Away Trump’s Abuse of Power GameRead more

When Donald Trump directed Congress to defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), he and his allies pushed a long time, right-wing narrative about targeting liberal “bias” at NPR and PBS.

Formal school-based sex ed in the United States was born of the turn of the century social hygiene movement, a hybrid medical and moral project that hoped to eradicate social ills of the day. These ills included sex work and “social diseases” — a euphemism for STIs — … How the Christian Right Hijacked the Fight for Sex Ed in America’s Public SchoolsRead more

I’d heard reports that the Pentagon was sending out official emails to Pentagon employees telling them about the great new opportunities available working for ICE and the CBP. Then I was told about this new listing at USAJobs – the official jobs board for the US government. It … ICE Cannabilizing DOD?Read more

Texas Democratic Rep. Nicole Collier made headlines this week when she chose to sleep in the state capitol building rather than be bullied into accepting a police escort in order to leave.

Last night I got an email from TPM reader LE. She started by explaining that she’s been reading TPM for at least a couple decades, going back to earlier early adulthood phases of her life, and is now a state legislator in a midwestern state. So the idea … What Should Anti-Trump States Focus On?Read more

Since President Donald Trump reentered the White House in January, his administration has, in part, been defined by its blatant effort to seize power from the legislative branch.  That’s come in the form of freezing, withholding and in some cases — as the watchdog Government Accountability Office (GAO) … Trump’s Legislative Branch Power Grab May Fundamentally Change Congress’ Relationship With White HouseRead more

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. An America for White Americans I usually cast President Trump’s anti-immigrant mass deportation agenda as a rule of law story. But it is of course so much more … Trump Pushes White Nationalist Agenda Across Multiple FrontsRead more

A handful of Republican state lawmakers in Indiana have come out against the Trump administration’s redistricting pressure campaign since President Trump sent his VP and a handful of White House officials to the state earlier this month. It was seen as an attempt to strong-arm Republican officials there … Trump Allies Bully Indiana GOP With Primary Threats Amid Redistricting Pressure CampaignRead more

President Trump revealed Monday that he intends to “lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS” before the 2026 midterms, adding explicitly that he thinks ending the practice will benefit Republicans.

Yesterday (in this post which didn’t go up as a BackChannel) I discussed the idea of “strategic depth” as a way of thinking about the sovereignty of the states in the battle against Trumpism. I want to expand on that. Because it’s become pretty central to my thinking … More Thoughts on How We Should Be Thinking About the Critical Role of the StatesRead more

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. A Glimpse Inside the MAGA-fied DOJ A top antitrust lawyer fired by the Trump Justice Department is not going quietly. In a speech yesterday in Colorado, Roger Alford … A Fired Trump Appointee Goes Off on Pam Bondi’s Corrupt DOJRead more

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has been careful to not publicly disagree with the Trump administration as it pressures Texas Republicans to engage in mid-decade redistricting to help the party potentially net five new U.S. House seats in the 2026 midterms.

President Trump has a new post up on Truth Social today in which he claims that states only run elections and count ballots as agents acting at his direction as president of the United States. The key lines are “the States are merely an ‘agent’ for the Federal … Trump, Elections and the Opposition’s Strategic DepthRead more

This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis. It was originally published at The Conversation. For almost 40 years, people who suspect they’ve been harmed by a vaccine have been able to turn to a little-known system called the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program – often simply … RFK Jr.’s Wants to Overhaul the US ‘Vaccine Court.’ What Would That Actually Look Like?Read more

There’s a long way to go before November 2026. The pace of malign events just keeps increasing. But even with all that I want to mention some significant shifts on the 2026 Senate recruiting front. It’s an article of faith for very good reasons that regaining control of … Looking Again at the 2026 Senate MapRead more

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. A Classic Example of Political Corruption Ed Martin had no prior experience as a prosecutor when he became acting D.C. U.S. attorney earlier this year. And it shows. … Ed Martin Confirms Ed Martin’s Witch Hunt Against Elected DemocratsRead more

Hello it’s the weekend. This is The Weekender ☕️ Each day of the second Trump administration brings some new piece of content that it’s hard to believe is real. On Thursday, that was a video of armed, masked Border Patrol officers lurking outside California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press … Trump II Media Strategy: Edgelord Memes and Cops-Style VideosRead more

This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis. It was originally published at The Conversation. With his Aug. 11, 2025, announcement that he was sending the National Guard – along with federal law enforcement – into Washington, D.C. to fight crime, President Donald Trump edged U.S. … Majority of US Troops Surveyed Say They’re Aware of Their Duty to Not Follow Illegal OrdersRead more

I just belatedly read this piece by TPM alum and all around reasonably good fellow Brian Beutler wrote on the question of resistance to the Trump administration. Voting, organizing, protesting — those are all pretty straightforward. But what about when those aren’t enough? He starts from that saying … Charting the Outer Bounds of Opposition and Resistance, and Then SomeRead more