Talking Points Memo

House Republican leadership held a pretty maddening press conference Thursday morning trying to place the blame for the shutdown on Democrats. Their spin du jour involved accusing Democrats of taking the government hostage, trying to appease the “radical left” corners of their party, and claiming that Democrats are … In Shutdown Spin, Republicans Are Pretending They Care About Mothers on WIC NowRead more

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has been forced to halt the publishing of its always-anticipated monthly jobs report because of the government shutdown, making room for President Donald Trump’s administration to obscure the true state of the economy nine months into his second term.

On Monday I saw a bunch of people on Bluesky mentioning and praising this essay by Andrea Pitzer. It’s quite good. I recommend reading it. It’s about the recent podcast discussion between Ezra Klein and Ta-Nehisi Coates. And that conversation turns a lot on the much-derided column Klein … Being Ready to Lose Well, Perseverance and How Not to Be LostRead more

The Trump administration lobbied Wednesday evening for a freeze of Washington D.C.’s attempt to eject a couple thousand National Guard from the district. 

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. ‘Maximize the Pain’ The government shutdown has again laid bare how Republicans, especially but not exclusively in the Trump era, see government as a little more … Trump Lays Siege to the Federal Government From Inside Its WallsRead more

For months, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has lacked the quorum it needs to function — a state of affairs created in part when President Trump fired board member Gwynne A. Wilcox, a Democrat, in late January.  That could soon change. In July, Trump nominated Scott Mayer, … Trump’s NLRB Nominees Get Grilled While Board Faces Uncertain FutureRead more

Twenty years ago this week, John Roberts became the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and embarked on a campaign to dismantle vital legal precedents and landmark laws, like the Voting Rights Act. During the hearings on his nomination, Roberts used his skills in oral advocacy to … How John Roberts Won Over the Bush White House and Remade the Supreme CourtRead more

I can’t go into too much detail without revealing my sources. But I wanted to share that I’ve heard from sources in multiple departments and agencies that the groundwork you’d expect to see in advance of wholesale firings – as promised by Russ Vought – simply are not … Shutdown Dogs That Aren’t Barking: Russ Vought Abject Degeneracy (Follow Up) EditionRead more

There are a few Trump II retribution threads converging today in the hours since the government shut down after the fiscal year ended at midnight Wednesday.

This article first appeared at ProPublica, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. In August 2020, the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, went to the U.S. ambassador with an extraordinary request. Salvadoran authorities … Meet the Trump-Appointed Diplomat Accused of Shielding El Salvador’s President From Law EnforcementRead more

The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday to keep fired Governor Lisa Cook on the Federal Reserve Board for now, at least temporarily defying President Trump’s wishes.

Arch-conservative federal district court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, with much vitriol aimed at the Supreme Court, begrudgingly transferred a major attack on mifepristone’s legality out of his court Tuesday night — claiming to arbitrarily choose instead a district court composed almost entirely of Trump appointees. 

I write fluidly across different venues. Here, on social media, in emails with readers … and I sometimes lose track of where I’ve said what. So I wanted to agree with something TPM Reader XX1 says in this email I flagged. I’m skeptical the White House will follow … Don’t Believe the Hype: Russ Vought Degeneracy EditionRead more

President Donald Trump has withdrawn his controversial pick for Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner, E.J. Antoni, after it became apparent he did not have support from enough Republican senators. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) declined to meet with Antoni ahead of his not-yet-scheduled hearing before … Trump White House Withdraws Nomination for Controversial BLS Pick After GOP Senators Decline to Meet With HimRead more

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. ‘Enemy From Within’ It’s rare these days for Morning Memo to read like anything other than a litany of travesties, indignities, and setbacks in American public … The Test of Our Time: Even the Military Can’t Resist Trump on Its Own ForeverRead more

From a federal employee. TPM Reader XX1, initials anonymized and portion of letter which notes government agency removed for obvious reasons … I’m writing here to concur with your last couple blog posts on the shutdown.  You put into prose accurately what I’ve been trying to get across … Readers Thoughts #1Read more

President Trump and Defense (sorry, War) Secretary Pete Hegseth each gave speeches before hundreds of unamused top U.S. military officials, who were dragged away from their work commanding the U.S. military and to Quantico, Virginia this week for, up until Tuesday, mysterious reasons.

Early this afternoon, multiple federal departments and agencies sent out an email to employees blaming the impending shutdown on the Democrats. I didn’t see one from every department and agency. (I saw with my own eyes the versions at Health and Human Services, the Social Security Administration, the … Let It HappenRead more

At least one judge gets it.

The government will shut down at midnight. The Senate is in session, and is expected to vote on both the Republican, House-passed continuing resolution and the Democratic counter proposal later in the day. Both will almost certainly fail. House Republicans are still away from D.C., prompting taunts from … Hours Away, Government Shutdown Seems InevitableRead more

We’ve had a lot of you asking if you can buy tickets for one night of our anniversary event in early November. We know a two night commitment is a lot. So as of this morning we’ve put those individual tickets on sale too. If you’re a member … Single Night Tickets Go On Sale TodayRead more

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. New Jingoism Same as the Old Jingoism The last 30 years or so have been a relative retreat from more than a century of jingoistic U.S. … Trump’s Venezuela Saber-Rattling Revives Bad Old Days of U.S. Policy in Latin AmericaRead more

In July, Franklin School District Superintendent Dan LeGallo got a surprise letter from the Department of Homeland Security.

There’s now a flurry of statements from GOP congressional leadership essentially saying, Democrats need to do the right thing, act responsibly. The White House is claiming it’s about ACA for “illegals”. If anything this tends to confirm the folly of all these intricate and baroque arguments about how … About Overthinking the ShutdownRead more

President Donald Trump, in his second term, has been notably fixated on his home city and its local governance. Early this year, he bought off mayor Eric Adams by making a criminal indictment hanging over his head disappear. Then, as Adams faced ghastly polling numbers and a trio … Trump Tries to Convince New York That He’ll Do Some Extra Retribution If It Elects MamdaniRead more

A series of attempts by President Trump’s Justice Department to access voter roll information is prompting increasing alarm from election administrators, who warn that the federal government may be laying the groundwork to attempt to strongarm states over how they conduct their elections. 

This is a brief update on the New York City mayoral election. There’s not a lot of good reason why this should be big news or a big story outside of the tristate area. But since politically obsessed people are pretty obsessed with it, I wanted to discuss … Adams Leaving Ain’t Enough to Make NYC Mayor a RaceRead more

Portland, Oregon has become President Trump’s newest target for National Guard invasion and blood-drenched hyperbole, as the administration deployed a couple hundred troops over the governor’s resistance this weekend. 

Going into 2026 and 2028 it’s time for, essential for Democrats to make clear that the current Supreme Court will have to reformed (expanded in number, reformed in structure) to allow popular government to continue in the United States. This is not so much a litmus test (though … The Corrupt Supreme Court Must Be Reformed: Dems Must Champion ItRead more

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. Removing the Few Remaining Guardrails While the Trump DOJ has been hijacked to target Donald Trump’s perceived foes with criminal investigation and prosecution, it continues to … New Purges Continue to Hollow Out the Trump DOJRead more