July 13, 2026 at 10:41 PM EDT
Ex-deputy AG says Trump DOJ is throwing norms out the window with latest anti-press move

President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, his former personal lawyer and current acting attorney general Todd Blanche, is already under fire for allegedly not releasing millions of pages from the Epstein files and persecuting Trump's political enemies. Yet according to former deputy assistant attorney general Tom Dupree, Blanche is also problematic because of his recent decision to subpoena New York Times reporters over the story of the plane Trump received as a gift from Qatar being allegedly insufficiently secure.

July 13, 2026 at 10:41 PM EDT
MAGA will 'move on' quickly from GOP senator's death -- even as conspiracy theories run amok

The unexpected death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has inspired a lot of conspiracy theories from supporters of President Donald Trump -- but one conservative suspects those theories will not have a long shelf-life. "A prominent 71-year-old can't just die of cardiovascular disease these days. Instead, judging by some people's reactions to the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), there has to be a hidden hand at play," wrote The Bulwark's Will Sommer on Monday. He mentioned that right-wing activist Laura Loomer speculated Graham was assassinated either by Russia, for his staunch support of Ukraine, or by Iran, for his consistent backing of Israel. Loomer also speculated that Tucker Carlson, a former Trump supporter who has since turned on the president, might also be ripe for investigation.

July 13, 2026 at 9:03 PM EDT
Right-wing radio host says Trump just gave an 'in-kind contribution' to his Dem foe

President Donald Trump is reportedly planning on claiming that the 2020 Georgia Senate elections were stolen and that the two Democratic incumbents, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, are not legitimate lawmakers. One prominent conservative commentator is arguing that if Trump does indeed act in this way, it will benefit Ossoff, who is up for reelection in a competitive race this November.

July 13, 2026 at 8:28 PM EDT
GOP senators demand transparency as McConnell's proof of life pic fails to persuade critics

While the office of former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell insists he is merely recovering from a fall at a hospital, conspiracy theories continue abound that the continuously-absent Kentuckian seen carried away on a stretcher is actually in a much worse state. "Cornyn says 'we need some transparency' from McConnell," reported NBC News congressional correspondent Brennan Leach, referring to an interview with Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). "Says he wishes McConnell had updated about his health 'earlier.' 'I think it would have resolved a lot of questions.'" Cornyn also said he wants to see toxicology reports on the unexpected death of a different Republican lawmaker, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

July 13, 2026 at 7:22 PM EDT
Legal experts alarmed as Trump plans to claim Georgia's Dem senators are illegitimate

President Donald Trump is reportedly planning on delivering a speech in the near future amplifying his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him -- and social media users on X are raising the alarm. "Things are about to get very, very, very bad," posted podcaster Chris Mowrey. Similarly Shannon Watts, the New York Times bestselling author of "Fired Up," wrote that this means there will be "a Civil War instead of midterm elections."

July 13, 2026 at 5:57 PM EDT
Trump DC golf course has a massive pest control problem: health inspector report

One of President Donald Trump's golf clubs has a major pest control problem -- literally. "When a Loudoun County health official visited the Trump National Golf Club Washington D.C.'s restaurant last month, the inspector spotted some invaders," reported by NOTUS' Dave Levinthal on Monday. Levinthal proceeded to describe a health inspector report chronicling "large quantity of small flies" at a storage room near the employee restrooms, as well as a number of health issues.

July 13, 2026 at 5:44 PM EDT
GOP senator throws Rubio's words back in his face as Trump ignores secretary's warning

A Republican senator who President Donald Trump recently threw under the bus is now throwing a top Trump official's words back in his face -- and over an issue that economically impacts every American. "I recall Secretary Rubio saying that would not be proper for any country. Am I wrong?" Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) told NOTUS journalist Igor Bobic regarding Trump saying the United States will toll the Strait of Hormuz. Ever since Trump invaded Iran, the Strait of Hormuz has been hotly contested, with Iran's throttling of the key waterway raising prices on essential products like oil and fertilizer for ordinary Americans.

July 13, 2026 at 5:13 PM EDT
Conservatives laugh at Trump kids as foreign business deal hits major snag

President Donald Trump and his children have long faced accusations of corruption, as the Republican leader openly and his progeny openly do business with foreign countries despite the appearance of conflicts of interest. Now one of those controversial business deals -- a planned resort in Albania that would destroy an ecologically-protected flamingo sanctuary -- just saw a plot twist that left a conservative commentator literally laughing out loud.

July 13, 2026 at 4:57 PM EDT
GOP 'meltdown': House Republicans are running out of time -- and out of control

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is realizing that anything legislative might be shut down for the rest of the summer. Politico reported on Monday that Johnson's leadership circle has realized there's no chance of passing anything immigration related. Politico's Meredith Lee Hill reported that sources told them, "A handful of House GOP hardliners tell us they will tank the rule this week without a plan on [immigration] and more as Johnson struggles to regain control of the House floor."

July 13, 2026 at 4:41 PM EDT
Protesters swarm Susan Collins' office after feds shoot a man in Maine

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) is facing heated protests for her support of a policy that critics say led to a wrongful death on Monday. "Protestors descended on Sen. Susan Collins' Biddeford office Monday following a deadly shooting that authorities said involved federal immigration agents," reported Portland Press Herald's Rachel Ohm on Monday. "Dozens of people crowded the entryway of the Main St. office Monday afternoon shouting 'Vote her out!' On the street, others carried signs reading, 'NO ICE' and 'Melt ICE.'"

July 13, 2026 at 11:58 AM EDT
Drained Reflecting Pool betrays Trump's claim of '350-foot' gash in liner

The ongoing saga of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool continued Monday as the water drained, revealing the damage that was visible. Thus far, there is no 350-foot gash in the lining. Photos from Washington D.C., activist Joe Flood and Democratic Party strategist Matt Rein show the slow process of the pool draining. Rein's photos in particular show that as the pool drained along the parts of the pool that were reachable by the public, there were no gashes.

July 13, 2026 at 11:47 AM EDT
Mitch McConnell 'proof of life' photo has MAGA bursting with conspiracy theories

On Sunday, the office of Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released a brief statement and "proof of life" photo showing him smiling in a hospital bed alongside his wife, a copy of the latest Washington Post in his hand to indicate the photo was taken that very day. But while his office may have intended to quash rumors that the senator is either incapacitated or dead , for many skeptics -- particularly in MAGA realms -- the photo is just further evidence of his death.