Talking Points Memo

This is something I’m still trying to get my head around – both the technical legislative details as well as how all this plays in political terms. The details are still fuzzy to me but I want to get the outlines in front of you. At the end … The White House’s Next Orchestrated Budget CrisisRead more

Hello it’s the weekend. This is The Weekender ☕️ President Trump wants to send to Congress a chunk of the DOGE federal funding cuts that Congress, in a properly functioning democracy, should have voted on in the first place. Its called a rescissions package, and it is a … Trump Got Tired Of Waiting On GOP Lawmakers To Decide Whether To Relinquish Their AuthorityRead more

I had not seen that David Horowitz died. I have said many very harsh things about Horowitz over the years, going back to one of my earliest pieces in The American Prospect in the late 90s. I even had a few personal run-ins with him. I stand by … David Horowitz DiesRead more

Close allies of President Trump are asking a judge to give the White House control over much of the federal court system.

At least for the moment this hasn’t gotten much attention. So let me point your attention to a new part of the White House Signal chat story which is actually a pretty big deal. You likely saw that yesterday Reuters published a photo of a Trump cabinet meeting … The Signal Scandal Somehow Just Managed to Get Much WorseRead more

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. Never Seen This Before In an important new story, the NYT reveals for the first time that senior Trump DOJ official Emil Bove directed the Civil Rights Division … Rogue DOJ Investigation Of Columbia Protestors Alarmed Federal JudgeRead more

President Trump’s nominee for D.C. U.S. Attorney Ed Martin appears to be facing skepticism from the Senate Judiciary Committee, Republican members of which met this week to discuss the seemingly endless baggage and politically motivated acts that Martin has and will likely continue to mix into his work … It Appears Ed Martin ‘Doesn’t Have The Votes’ To Be Confirmed—At Least Not Right NowRead more

When I got word this morning that Mike Waltz was making his final swirl around the National Security Advising bowl I set myself to thinking: what’s the stupidest way this could play out. I tried, readers, and I failed as we’ve now learned that Marco Rubio will be … Grinder RubesRead more

In a win for Republicans, a North Carolina Appeals court panel ruled on Wednesday that a piece of legislation designed to strip power from state level elected Democrats and give Republicans control of the state election board in an overt power grab, can take effect. 

Yesterday I excoriated Politico for a deeply ingenuous report on GOP Medicaid cuts, now presenting the matter as something congressional Republicans are trying to foist on a skeptical Trump. I also said that they were making up the idea that Trump has repeatedly pledged never to touch Medicaid … A Semi-CorrectionRead more

Despite the reams of documents, hours of hearings and the unlawful expulsion of Venezuelan detainees, no judge had ruled on whether the Trump administration can even apply the Alien Enemies Act to these alleged gang members — until Thursday. 

House Energy & Commerce Committee Republicans have begun their work of finding $880 billion in cuts to programs under the committee’s jurisdiction — which includes popular social safety nets like Medicare, Medicaid and Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP) — as House Republicans attempt to put together a reconciliation … Republicans Coalesce Around Medicaid Work Requirements, Pretending It Won’t Impact Millions Of Enrollees Read more

A new episode of The Josh Marshall Podcast is live! This week, Kate and Josh check in on the polling, economy and judge arrests (!) after Trump’s first few months in office.

There’s been an emerging scandal in Florida for a few weeks now that directly affects not only Ron DeSantis but also his wife, Casey DeSantis, who is weighing a run to succeed Ron as governor. The gist of the scandal is the state of Florida settled an over-billing … The Other Side of the Trump DOJ’s House of CorruptionRead more

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. The Hollow Man During his 15 years on the national political stage, Marco Rubio has never come across as a man with a consolidated moral center or core. … MAGA Marco Puts On A SCOTUS-Defying Show For TrumpRead more

I found this new piece in Politico about Medicaid politics genuinely jarring. Reporters Rachel Bade et al. concoct this alternative reality in which House Republicans are pressuring Trump to cut Medicaid while he’s deeply “wary” of doing so. As you’d expect, this story comes from “six White House … AmazingRead more

Here’s my latest hobby: looking at just how many constituents House Republicans, especially the so called “moderates,” want to strip of their health care coverage. Congressional Republicans are currently in hard negotiations and a game of chicken for how to pay for their big tax cut, which seems … Play ‘GOP Health Care Slaughterhouse’ with Your Own RepRead more

The New York Times put out a statement this afternoon defending itself against President Trump’s latest threat to go after the publication in court for reporting on information in ways that he does not like. It is difficult to put into words how bizarre and out of touch … Trump’s Latest Attack On The Press Involves Being Upset That They Cite Expert SourcesRead more

Despite a flurry of developments, Kilmar Abrego Garcia appears no closer to release from detention in El Salvador than he was a month and half ago when he was mistakenly deported by the Trump administration despite an immigration judge order barring his removal.  Today in the legal case … Where Things Stand Now In The Abrego Garcia CaseRead more

A newly released AJC poll shows support for Donald Trump falling to 43% in Georgia; disapproval 55%.

According to Punchbowl, Sen. Ron Johnson just announced he won’t support the reconciliation bill being written by House Republicans. He says there have to be $5 trillion in cuts to get his vote. And forget about the July 4th deadline. For perspective the House Freedom Caucus was demand … GOPers Are Telling Us Trump Looks WeakRead more

I’ve gotten a range of responses to yesterday’s post (“Trump’s Already Lost“) on Trump’s gambit and whether he’s already lost. There were a few specific questions, however, that came up again and again, that I wanted to answer.

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. Abrego Garcia Case May Come To A Head Today The constitutional clash over Kilmar Abrego Garcia played out on national TV last evening with President Trump acknowledging that … Trump Dares SCOTUS To Do Something About His DefianceRead more

As my colleague Emine Yücel reported yesterday, President Trump’s plan for a rescissions package — which many presidents have successfully used since the 1970s to send unspent funding back to Congress — is a constitutionally backwards attempt to force down legislators’ throats the sweeping cuts to federal programs … Trump May Pause On Shoving DOGE Cuts Down Congress’ Throat; May Force Feed Medicaid Cuts InsteadRead more

There are a number of you who simply don’t agree with me about the role of public opinion in the battle against Trumpism, which I sketched out in yesterday’s Backchannel and in other posts over recent months. And that’s great. Because, among other reasons, you keep me on … Trump’s Already LostRead more

Amazon quickly scraps idea of listing costs from tariffs on product listings after White House attacks the idea.

A career federal prosecutor who was fired without reason last month in yet another stunning breach of the Justice Department’s independence from the White House is now challenging what he is calling an unlawful dismissal.

A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPM’s Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. The Destruction: Civil Rights Edition If you know, you know. The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has for nearly seven decades been at the forefront of some … Trump DOJ Decimates The Civil Rights Division And All It Stood ForRead more

During a widely covered weekend town hall at which New York Republican Rep. Mike Lawler was forced to answer for the Trump administration’s many loathed and lawless actions, the Republican got more than an earful from residents of his swing district about the party’s intended cuts to Medicaid.

The White House is planning to send a rescission package to Capitol Hill in the coming days, part of an effort to give a figleaf of legitimacy to DOGE’s rampage through the federal government. The package makes use of a process intended to bring money approved by Congress … Trump Allies Prep Plan To Make DOGE Seem Like A Good, Normal, Law-Abiding OperationRead more