Retiring senator warns if Trump continues to do 'stupid things' it will kill GOP in November
Sen. Thom Tillis warns Trump's decisions are "killing our chances" for Republicans to hold the Senate, escalating a feud with the president.

Friends,Robbie was the kindest person I ever knew.I met him in our dormitory the day we entered college in 1964. He saw me struggling to carry my big luggage crates up the two flights of stairs to my dorm room and, without saying a word, grabbed one and hauled it to the second floor.“Thank you!” I stammered when we reached the landing.“Don’t mention it,” he said with a broad smile, and then offered his hand. “I’m Robbie.”“Bob,” I said, shaking his hand.“Good to meet you, Bob!”He must have noticed I was exhausted by the effort, and lonely to boot. “It’s close to dinner time,” he said. “Wanna walk over to the dining hall?”“Sure!”That was the start of our friendship.Robbie was intuitively and naturally kind. He combined a remarkable warmheartedness with a degree of compassion I had never known before. And it wasn’t only toward me. Every young man in our dorm, and many in our class, came to admire and depend on Robbie.Robbie went missing in action in Vietnam on October 12, 1972. His body has never been recovered.I think of Robbie on Memorial Day, as I do of others who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.I was strongly opposed to the Vietnam War. I demonstrated and marched against it. I was too short to be drafted, but I detested the cruel absurdity of that war, the lies with which it was sold to the American people, the utter waste of it. In the end, more than 58,000 Americans and millions of Vietnamese lost their lives in it. Many more were grievously wounded.But when I think of Robbie, I also remember his sense of duty. Duty was inseparable from his kindness. Whatever the situation, Robbie was eager to help.What do we owe one another as members of the same society? To me, that question lies at the heart of this Memorial Day.Our current president apparently believes we owe each other nothing. To him, everything is a transaction — a deal in which each of us is in it for as much money and power as we can get.During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump denigrated Senator John McCain, whose plane was shot down over Hanoi in 1967.McCain became a prisoner of war. The North Vietnamese offered him early release because McCain’s father was commander of all U.S. forces in Vietnam at the time. But the young McCain refused the offer in order to uphold the Code of Conduct, which stipulated that prisoners of war should be released in the order they were captured. As a result, he remained in North Vietnam for nearly five additional years, during which time he was put into solitary confinement and tortured.“He’s not a war hero,” Trump said of McCain during the 2016 presidential campaign. Then he altered his comment: “He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured, OK?”Trump avoided serving in Vietnam by claiming he had a bone spur in his heel. As Michael Cohen, Trump’s “fixer,” told members of the House Oversight Committee in 2019:“Trump claimed [his medical deferment] was because of a bone spur, but when I asked for medical records, he gave me none and said there was no surgery. He told me not to answer the specific questions by reporters but rather offer simply the fact that he received a medical deferment. He finished the conversation with the following comment: ‘You think I’m stupid, I wasn’t going to Vietnam.’”Trump and his family business are now planning a $1.5 billion golf complex outside Hanoi and a Trump skyscraper in Ho Chi Minh City — the Trump family’s first projects in Vietnam. The two projects are part of a global moneymaking enterprise that no family of a sitting American president has ever before attempted.Robbie was never in it for himself. He did what he did because he felt he had an obligation to do it, a duty to the nation he loved. It’s why I remember and honor Robbie today.Robert Reich is an emeritus professor of public policy at Berkeley and former secretary of labor. His writings can be found at https://robertreich.substack.com/. His new memoir, Coming Up Short, can be found wherever you buy books. You can also support local bookstores nationally by ordering the book at bookshop.org
Sen. Thom Tillis warns Trump's decisions are "killing our chances" for Republicans to hold the Senate, escalating a feud with the president.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche says the shooting near the White House over the weekend reiterates the need for President Trump’s ballroom. Blanche, in a federal court filing on Sunday, argued the incident “underscores the critical need for top level, state of the art security at the White House, including the Ballroom.” The filing was…
Megyn Kelly's bombshell claims about Donald Trump's marriage history and the resurfaced allegation from his first wife landed like a grenade across social media over the holiday weekend, drawing furious responses from Trump loyalists, conservative critics, and longtime Kelly skeptics alike.Kelly made the claims on Friday's episode of the Hodgetwins Podcast, saying flatly that "Trump has cheated on every wife he's had" and resurfacing a rape allegation made by his first wife Ivana Trump during their 1990 divorce proceedings — an allegation Ivana later retracted, saying she did not want her words taken "in a literal or criminal sense." Kelly added that she could not personally confirm the accusation, but said of Trump's current marriage to Melania: "If you think Trump's been faithful to Melania, that's great. You've got bigger issues than I can solve here."The reactions came quickly.The sharpest attack came from far-right activist Laura Loomer, who wasted no time going for the jugular. "Megyn Kelly has always been an opportunistic snake," Loomer wrote. "It was a big mistake for Trump's campaign staff to allow that h----- on stage at his rallies."Another pointed criticism came from a different direction entirely. Conservative commentator Jonah Goldberg, a prominent Never Trumper and co-founder of The Dispatch, argued that Kelly's newfound candor was too little, too late. "I love how MAGA apologists who ignored or even celebrated Trump's character flaws now suddenly discover them and pretend to be brave truth tellers," Goldberg wrote. "When it would have cost them, they happily promoted the cult. Now they're like 'oh my God it's a cult! Why can't you see it?!'"RedState writer Bonchie made a related but distinct point. "Seeing Megyn, who spent the last several years proclaiming herself some kind of MAGA queen, now pushing 2016 talking points is hilarious," he wrote. "I mean, if this was an issue for you, why wasn't it an issue a year ago?"It was a question others were asking too. Journalist Eric Michael Garcia noted the obvious tension in Kelly's timing. "Again, Megyn Kelly knew all of this before she endorsed him in 2024 and still endorsed him," he wrote.Journalist and broadcaster Mehdi Hasan responded with a string of clapping emojis, letting the situation speak for itself.Actor Henry Winkler, best known for playing Fonzie on Happy Days, offered perhaps the most economical reaction of all: "Wow."
Last week in the Kentucky GOP primary, Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) was beaten by MAGA-certified challenger Ed Gallrein in a race that many say re-verified President Donald Trump’s grip on the Republican party, proving once again that his endorsement can make or break candidates depending on their loyalty to him personally. Now Massie — who has drawn Trump’s ire over the course of the past 18 months for his willingness to break with the White House agenda — has filed to run in 2028 for the House seat he just lost, adding new significance to the election that will also choose a new president.In the runup to Massie’s defeat last week, the Kentucky race swelled to become the most expensive primary in history. Trump and his political allies flooded the election with money after the Representative voted against a handful of Trump policies, pushed for the release of the Epstein files, and opposed the war with Iran. The race caused fractures not only throughout the Republican party but within diehard MAGA circles, with former Trump allies like Tucker Carlson and ex-Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene backing Massie, and the Administration along with powerful pro-Israel lobbies coordinating efforts to oppose him. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth raised eyebrows by stumping for Gallrein in the final days of the race, breaking Pentagon neutrality norms. And Representative Lauren Boebert attempted to voice support for both Massie and Trump, prompting a predictable attack from the latter, who immediately suggested she be primaried.The president has frequently used his primary endorsement as a cudgel for keeping Republicans in line, and has proven that he still has a grip on the party, with his candidates consistently beating targeted incumbents on both state and national levels. But many warn that Trump’s short-term wins could mean defeat for the Republicans in the November general election. While the president’s endorsement may be effective within the GOP, that is likely no longer the case in a broader election where candidates depend on independent swing voters. Trump’s approval among swing voters has plunged to historic lows over issues like the war with Iran, the spiraling economy, and many other factors. As a result, voters have expressed an overwhelming desire for Democratic candidates in generic ballots, which has Republicans worried they may lose their majorities in the House and maybe even the Senate. While Massie will leave office at the end of this term, his filing for 2028 suggests he recognizes that while Trump may have power over the party for now, enthusiasm for the president is waning fast.
President Trump announced on Monday that he wants every country involved in US-Iran negotiations to sign on to the Abraham Accords as a mandatory term of a peace agreement. Trump famously brokered the agreement to normalize diplomatic, economic, and security relations between Israel and Arab nations in his first term. The post NEW: Trump Calls for All Arab Mediators and Iran to Sign Abraham Accords as Mandate for Peace Deal After Pressure From Lindsey Graham appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
As a boy in the early 1970s, I remember my father serving as a U.S. Navy Reserve chaplain in Atlanta. One of his duties was casualty notification, informing families that their loved one had been killed in military service, usually the Marines.In winter, he wore his Navy service dress blues while accompanying other officers into some of Atlanta’s poorest neighborhoods and housing projects. There were no cell phones, GPS systems, or easy ways to locate families quickly. The notifications were time-sensitive, and strangers in uniform were often met cautiously in neighborhoods already carrying more than their share of hardship. Some families hid at first because they thought the men approaching their doors were police officers.This Memorial Day, a nation pauses to remember the Americans who never took off the uniform.But my father carried a different burden: the worst message a family could hear.In addition to preaching from a pulpit, he ministered on doorsteps.He served for many years, eventually retiring with the rank of captain. But long before that, I watched him carry one of the hardest duties a chaplain could bear.Memorial Day means more to me because of that.Not all memorials are granite.Some are folded into flags handed to trembling families. Others hang quietly in framed photographs or rest beneath white crosses overlooking distant oceans. And some are so small that readers almost miss them in Scripture.One appears in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Under the superintendence of the Holy Spirit, Matthew records the lineage of Jesus carefully: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon.But when he arrives at Solomon, Matthew writes something unusual: “David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah” (Matthew 1:6).Bathsheba’s name is not mentioned. Her husband’s is.Uriah the Hittite.King David committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged for Uriah to die in battle. Scripture does not sanitize David’s sin: “The thing that David had done displeased the Lord” (2 Samuel 11:27).David repented. God forgave him. But the consequences remained.Still, God preserved the name David tried to bury.Every Memorial Day, I think about that.Uriah has now been remembered for nearly 3,000 years, not because kings honored him properly. His own king had him killed. But God refused to let him disappear.And Uriah was not even an Israelite by birth. He was a Hittite. Yet he served honorably even when his king acted dishonorably toward him.Memorial Day reminds us that service is vital.As America approaches 250 years as a nation, countless men and women have worn its uniform unto death. Some died heroically in combat. Others died through confusion, incompetence, training accidents, or the failures of leaders far from the battlefield.War has always mixed courage with tragedy, honor with human failure. But generation after generation, Americans still stepped forward, willing to bear costs most citizens pray they never personally face.Many of those never came home alive.My own sons are now about the age my father was when he knocked on those doors in a Navy uniform, carrying news no family ever wants to hear.Looking at my sons, I cannot imagine them carrying that burden repeatedly.Yet those moments marked my father for the rest of his ministry. His faith was forged in living rooms where stunned families learned someone they loved was not coming home.He carried both the duty of the nation and the ministry of the church into rooms shattered by grief.His grave marker bears both his rank and his calling, a reminder that he stood beside grieving families in their darkest hours.So this Memorial Day, a nation pauses to remember the Americans who never took off the uniform.But in that pause, if you served beside a military chaplain, remember them as well.Many spent their ministries carrying unbearable news to frightened families, fighting back tears while praying for those who could not, burying the dead, and offering words no one who hears them ever forgets:“On behalf of a grateful nation ...”History forgets names. Monuments weather. Politicians fail. But God does not forget.In the genealogy of Christ, God preserved the name of a faithful soldier. No service and no sacrifice poured out in duty escapes the sight of God.Not all memorials are granite. Some are written where time cannot erase them.
Shaun Byrnes did two tours in Vietnam. He had hoped to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery when his time came. Now he's not so sure — and Donald Trump is the reason why.Byrnes, 83, is one of several Vietnam veterans who have filed suit to stop construction of a 250-foot triumphal arch that Trump wants to build between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. The structure, which resembles Paris's Arc de Triomphe and has been dubbed the "Arc de Trump," would stand more than double the height of the Lincoln Memorial."It's disrespectful to those that I served with who didn't come back," Byrnes, a Navy veteran, told CBS News in a Sunday report. "And then, of course, to all those who are lying in Arlington National Cemetery."Byrnes and his fellow plaintiff Jon Gundersen, 81, a retired Army Special Forces officer, argue the project has been rushed through without proper congressional approval and would destroy a carefully considered sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and the Robert E. Lee Memorial — a symbolic connection meant to convey national unity after the Civil War.But their objection runs deeper than architecture. Both men spent decades in the military and State Department, including postings to Moscow and newly independent Eastern Bloc countries after the Soviet collapse. They say they know what this kind of monument means."We know how authoritarian dictatorships work," Gundersen said. "There's no rule of law, there's no consent of the governed, and there's monuments for the leaders there."Trump himself, when asked by a CBS News reporter who the arch is for, pointed to himself. "Me," he said.That answer didn't surprise the veterans. But it hardened their resolve. The lawsuit, led by the Public Citizen Litigation Group, argues the administration lacks legal authority to proceed. The Justice Department has moved to dismiss it, claiming the plaintiffs lack standing. Last month a federal judge denied a motion to temporarily halt construction, though the project has not yet broken ground.Last week, the U.S. Commission for Fine Arts approved the arch despite what its own secretary described as overwhelming public opposition — "100% of the comments were against the project," he told the panel. An urban planning commission stacked with Trump allies could sign off on the project as early as June.Gundersen dismissed Trump's claim that the arch would be paid for by private donations rather than taxpayer money. "Even if you took private donations, is that how we want to build monuments? To the oligarchs who give money for favors?"For Byrnes, the suit is ultimately about the fellow fighters who never made it home from Vietnam — and what they deserve."It's more about the duty I feel towards my colleagues and friends who did not come home," he said, "to stand up against this project, regardless of who's in charge."
President Donald Trump said he is “mandatorily requesting” that several Gulf States join the Abraham Accords, a landmark agreement between Israel and multiple Arab nations to establish relations, as a part of a broader deal with Iran to end the conflict. The Trump administration is negotiating an end to the war in Iran, but there […]