May 23, 2025 at 9:38 PM EDT
'Everybody else will get slaughtered': Ex-WH official says 'cruel' bill only for the rich

Rahm Emanuel, ex-chief of staff for former President Barack Obama, said Friday President Donald Trump's exclusive dinner for crypto investors who bought his meme coin "puts up a for sale sign in front of the White House." During a Friday appearance on CNN, the former Chicago mayor noted that Trump previously said he was going to "drain the swamp."

 

May 23, 2025 at 8:36 PM EDT
'Hell of a budget': Trump official's security costs 'more than some Cabinet secretaries'

Security for President Donald Trump's border czar Tom Homan costs over $500,000 each month, CBS News reported Friday. When factoring in agent salaries, airfare, hotel stays, and other travel-related costs, the total monthly expense is closer to $1 million, per the report. Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin told CBS: "DHS ensures our leaders are safe and protected."

 

May 23, 2025 at 7:56 PM EDT
'That's too much': NC governor reveals how much Trump's aid rejection will cost taxpayers

This week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) informed North Carolina Governor Josh Stein (D) that the federal government was rejecting his appeal of a prior rejection for federal disaster aid. Stein has used that rejection as a moment to educate local taxpayers about the financial implications of that rejection. In a video posted to his official X account, Stein -- a Democrat who won election last year in a state that President Donald Trump also won -- explained that because FEMA had rejected his appeal to continue covering 100% of debris removal costs from Hurricane Helene, that cost would now have to be shouldered by taxpayers. He observed that while there had already been 12 million cubic yards of debris removed, there was still a lot more debris to remove from the affected areas.

 

May 23, 2025 at 6:40 PM EDT
'Unprofessional and reckless': Trump and Rubio ripped for gutting national security body

The Trump administration placed over 100 National Security Council (NSC) staff members at the White House on administrative leave on Friday as part of a reorganization led by interim national security adviser and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to CNN. The timing -- late on a Friday ahead of a long holiday weekend -- prompted one official to describe the move as "as unprofessional and reckless as could possibly be," per CNN.

 

May 23, 2025 at 5:52 PM EDT
'Not in charge': Trump mocked for 'cognitive deficiencies' in revealing Oval Office moment

President Donald Trump has signed more than 150 executive orders, often with cameras rolling and staff looking on. The ritual rarely varies: seated at the desk in the Oval Office, the President listens as someone""typically the White House Staff Secretary""reads a brief summary of the order. On occasion, Trump interjects with a question, prompting speculation that he may not be fully familiar with the contents. He is seldom seen fully reading the orders themselves, which can span anywhere from a few pages to nearly 70.

 

May 23, 2025 at 5:31 PM EDT
'Peak narcissism': Veterans blast Trump for 'hijacking' military holiday for his birthday

In a post on his Truth Social platform Friday, President Donald Trump announced a parade on June 14 "to honor the United States Army's 250th birthday." "I am proud to announce that we will be hosting a magnificent Parade to honor the United States Army's 250th Birthday, on Saturday, June 14th, in Washington, D.C," the president said in the post.

 

May 23, 2025 at 5:17 PM EDT
'Violates the Constitution': GOP-appointed judge strikes down 'unlawful' Trump order

President Donald Trump's administration was just handed another significant loss in court - this time, at the hands of a Republican-appointed federal judge. In a 52-page order issued Friday, U.S. District Judge John D. Bates (who was appointed by President George W. Bush), Trump's March executive order targeting the law firm Jenner & Block has been permanently blocked. Jenner & Block's attorneys will now once again have access to federal buildings and have security clearances restored.

 

May 23, 2025 at 4:31 PM EDT
'No sincere recognition': Lifelong Catholic exposes JD Vance's 'mind-boggling' hypocrisy

In an article in Salon published Friday, political commentator Mary Elizabeth Williams argued that Vice President J.D. Vance "hasn't brought his Catholicism and his political ambition to the table to hash out their differences in a meaningful way." "In a 2020 essay about his conversion, ironically called 'How I joined the resistance,' Vance embraced Catholicism as 'protective of children and families and with the things necessary to ensure they thrive.' So it's a little bit mind-boggling that the same guy who shrugs off school shootings as 'a fact of life' and justifies the decimation of aid organizations by musing, 'How did America get to the point where we're sending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars abroad to NGOs that are dedicated to spreading atheism all over the globe?' The man who wrote 'If people die sooner in the midst of historic levels of consumption, then perhaps our focus on consumption is misguided,' now asks, 'God forbid, if your country goes to a war and your son or daughter is sent off to fight -- would you like to know that the weapons that they have are good, American-made stuff?'" she wrote.

 

May 23, 2025 at 4:17 PM EDT
'Fake news and propaganda': MTG erupts at Musk's 'non-human AI' after it doubts her faith

Grok - the artificial intelligence (AI) built for X owner Elon Musk's social media platform - recently questioned whether Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) was a real Christian, which was apparently a bridge too far for the far-right lawmaker. The Daily Beast first reported on the spat between Greene and Grok, noting that it began with one X user asking Grok whether Greene was "really a Christian" in response to a tweet in which she called herself "an imperfect sinner saved by grace and faith in Jesus." The AI told the user: "Greene's Christian nationalism and support for conspiracy theories, like QAnon, spark debate."

 

May 23, 2025 at 12:03 PM EDT
Not 'an amazingly good look': MAGA revolts over Trump Jr. 'making bank' off father's presidency

Right-wing pundit Ben Shapiro is among a growing list of MAGA voices scorching Donald Trump Jr. for "making bank" off his father's presidency. Trump Jr., who recently made news with the announcement that he may run for president, is already making good money as the son of the current one, reports The Daily Beast. Since his father's November win, Trump Jr. has joined at least eight corporate boards or advisory committees, and he is now executive vice president of development acquisitions at the holding company for most of his father's business ventures.

 

May 23, 2025 at 11:42 AM EDT
'Nuclear option': GOP senators threaten to cross 'red line' they warned Dems against

When Arizona centrist Kyrsten Sinema (a former Democrat turned independent) was serving in the U.S. Senate, she was a vigorous defender of the filibuster -- arguing that progressive Democrats who wanted to eliminate the filibuster would miss it dearly if Republicans retook the Senate. Meanwhile, Democrats who agreed with Sinema's defense of the filibuster warned that socially conservative Republicans wouldn't be above eliminating the filibuster if that's what it took to get a national abortion ban passed.

 

May 23, 2025 at 11:37 AM EDT
Franklin Graham scores Pentagon Christian prayer services invitation

Franklin Graham praised U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for holding a Pentagon Christian prayer service in the Defense Department's auditorium this week""an event some legal experts say may have been unconstitutional. The Christian evangelical activist has now been invited to attend what the DoD Chief says will be monthly events, titled, "Secretary of Defense Christian Prayer & Worship Service." "Thank you @PeteHegseth for not being afraid to stand up for Jesus Christ in the Pentagon. May God bless you," said Graham. A MAGA devotee, Graham was among Donald Trump's earliest supporters when he first embraced the real estate magnate for a possible presidential run in 2011.