President Donald Trump wants to make Vice President JD Vance the fall guy on the pending Iran deal, according to a D.C. insider and analyst on Tuesday.Trump's move to make Vance the face of the war negotiations — despite whether the vice president wants to take on the job or not — could ultimately backfire on his 2028 presidential run ambitions, reported David Gardner for The Swamp, The Daily Beast's Substack."Vance made no secret of his opposition to American involvement in foreign wars before his boss dived headlong into a major conflict with Iran, and he has been ducking and diving ever since, trying to tap dance his way through the MAGA minefield," Gardner wrote."Trump sent him off to Pakistan for no-hope negotiations that ended, as widely expected, in an impasse. Now the president, in France for the G-7 summit, is heading home on Thursday rather than skip across to Switzerland for a planned signing ceremony on Friday to formalize a peace deal memo with Iran," Gardner explained.And there could be a reason behind that."It seems he wants Vance’s signature on the flimsy deal. Just in case it fails," Gardner wrote."He will need all his faith to get through this mess because Marco Rubio, his number one rival for the presidential nomination in 2028, is catching him in the polls," Gardner added.
A Democratic lawmaker fired back at a Trump nominee after he refused to respond to questions during a confirmation hearing on Tuesday.Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) had a direct response to Deputy White House budget director nominee Hal Duncan during his testimony before the Senate Budget Committee. Sen. Jeff Merkley had asked a pointed question of Duncan, which the nominee tried to dodge."Do you believe the 2020 election was rigged?" Merkley asked."I believe that Joe Biden was certified as the winner of the 2020 election," Duncan said. Merkley pushed back. "He was certified, yes, but do you believe the election outcome was rigged?" Merkley said.Duncan repeated his response."Duly noted that you're not responding to the question," Merkley said.Kaine then pressed Duncan. The senator pointed out his concerns about his nomination."Saying President Biden was certified as the winner of that election is like saying today is Tuesday, June 16. It's obvious, it's a fact," Kaine said. "But he wouldn't acknowledge that President Biden won that race," Kaine added. "There's only one of two reasons, Mr. Duncan, you have either fallen victim to the conspiracy mindset that says that election was rigged and if you're a conspiracy theorist you shouldn't be let anywhere near the position you've been nominated for. Or, President Biden won the election, but you're afraid of making an insecure president mad by acknowledging that fact."Deputy White House budget director nominee Hal Duncan refuses to acknowledge that Biden won the 2020 election, but then moments later asserts that Trump won in 2024, prompting Tim Kaine to point out that he's clearly "afraid of making an insecure president mad" pic.twitter.com/zqUoPwYwUX— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 16, 2026
Internal contractor estimates reveal President Donald Trump's East Wing replacement ballroom project costs $600 million — $200 million more than what Trump has publicly stated. According to Clark Construction documents obtained by the Washington Post, approximately $307 million comes from federal agencies, including the Secret Service and White House Military Office. But only $293 million derives from private sources. On March 31, Trump claimed the project was taxpayer-free, emphasizing, "We have no taxpayer putting up 10 cents." Despite his claims, federal agencies had already approved dozens of payments to contractors totaling tens of millions in public funds. Procurement experts questioned the use of taxpayer money for the entertainment structure itself, arguing funds should not flow into the ballroom. The project has faced legal challenges from historic-preservation lawsuits and bipartisan congressional opposition, with seven Republican senators joining Democrats blocking a $400 million legislative authorization for the President's project. The White House declined to answer questions about cost discrepancies.Watch the video below. Your browser does not support the video tag.
Internal contractor estimates reveal that President Donald Trump's East Wing replacement project carries a price tag far exceeding what he has told the public – with taxpayers footing most of the bill.The Washington Post obtained a project summary prepared for the White House by contractor Clark Construction in early March that estimated the total construction cost at $600 million — $200 million more than the maximum figure Trump has ever cited publicly.The documents also show that roughly $307 million of that total was projected to come from federal agencies funded by taxpayers, including the Secret Service and the White House Military Office, while only $293 million was expected to come from private sources.When the project was first announced in July 2025, the White House said private donors would cover the entire $200 million cost. As estimates climbed — to $270 million, then $478 million, then $600 million — Trump's public statements never kept pace, and his insistence on full private funding never wavered."This is taxpayer-free," Trump said on March 31. "We have no taxpayer putting up 10 cents."By that date, the Post reported, federal agencies had already approved more than a dozen payments to Clark Construction totaling tens of millions of dollars in public funds.Contracting and procurement experts who reviewed the documents for the Post said some government spending on security features falls within normal bounds. The Secret Service and White House Military Office routinely fund security infrastructure at the White House complex. But they drew a clear line at what the documents appear to show — taxpayer money flowing into the ballroom structure itself."You can't disentangle the entertainment space from all of the other parts that are in here," said Stan Soloway, a former Pentagon acquisition official. "It's one structure."A former General Services Administration official was more blunt about the use of Secret Service funds for demolition of the original East Wing, telling the Post: "That is a stretch. How is that something Secret Service should do and fund?"Construction has faced numerous legal and political challenges. A historic-preservation lawsuit prompted a court injunction pausing above-ground work in March, while seven Republican senators joined Democrats to block a $400 million legislative authorization for the project."I think that's the commitment that should be kept," said Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME).The White House did not answer questions about the discrepancies, and Clark Construction declined to comment, calling all project details confidential.
President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Boris Epshteyn, allegedly joined an Indian billionaire's criminal defense team — and the Justice Department then moved to drop the charges, according to a new Wall Street Journal investigation.Epshteyn, who serves as Trump's legal coordinator and closest legal adviser, was said to have joined the defense of Gautam Adani — an Indian billionaire indicted in October 2024 on charges he schemed to pay more than $250 million in bribes to Indian officials.The alleged bribes were meant to secure solar-energy contracts. Initial defense lawyers had already tried and failed to get the case dropped. By spring 2025, senior Justice Department officials had greenlit proceeding with the prosecution.Then Sullivan & Cromwell — a white-shoe law firm that also represents Trump — took over Adani's defense last July. Around that same time, the Adani family told associates that Epshteyn was helping them.That account came from seven sources familiar with the matter, the Journal reported. Epshteyn never appeared in court filings or attended meetings with prosecutors. But his name was discussed inside the Justice Department.After two presentations by Sullivan & Cromwell lawyers, senior Justice Department officials on May 18 asked a federal judge in Brooklyn to dismiss all charges. The motion notably lacked the signatures of the line prosecutors who built the case — a sign of their disagreement.Epshteyn has spent nearly a decade at Trump's side, starting as a senior adviser on his 2016 campaign. He helped secure Justice Department posts for several officials — including Trent McCotter, the principal associate deputy attorney general who had the final say over the Adani dismissal.Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who defended Trump through multiple criminal prosecutions, was previously Epshteyn's own criminal-defense lawyer."The claims in this personal attack are false, malicious, and defamatory," Epshteyn said in a statement. The Adani Group said it "have not retained him in any capacity."Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to Blanche demanding an explanation."This administration has made clear that it is not the world police," a Justice Department spokeswoman said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's move to punish a Democratic critic seems to have backfired in a major way.When the Pentagon chief moved to strip Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) of his military rank and pension, he likely intended to silence a critic. Instead, he may have handed Democrats one of their most potent political assets heading into the 2028 presidential cycle — and strengthened the party's hand in midterm battlegrounds along the way, reported NOTUS."Every time the Trump administration hits him, he can say, ‘See, I’m their enemy, come with me in this fight,’" said one Democratic strategist. "That is the most powerful thing for eyeballs, and eyeballs equals donors among the base.”Kelly, the Arizona Democrat and decorated astronaut, has raised nearly $25 million since Hegseth's campaign against him began in late 2025 — a staggering sum for a senator not facing re-election – and more than two-thirds of his fourth-quarter haul came from small-dollar donors giving under $200, a signal that his anti-Trump profile is generating genuine grassroots energy.He has already deployed some of that money to back Democratic Senate candidates James Talarico and Mary Peltola.The feud began after Kelly appeared in a video encouraging service members to refuse unlawful orders, prompting Trump to accuse him and five other Democratic lawmakers of "sedition" — "punishable by DEATH," the president wrote.A Washington grand jury declined to indict any of them in February. A federal judge subsequently blocked the Pentagon from punishing Kelly, ruling the administration had likely violated his First Amendment rights and warning that its legal theory could threaten the free speech of millions of retired service members.Hegseth has pressed on regardless, most recently calling for a review of whether Kelly disclosed classified information on a television news program — a charge Kelly deflected by noting Hegseth himself had made similar statements publicly.For Democrats starved of fighters, the dynamic has been a gift. Kelly's fundraising texts, cable news appearances, and a slot on Time's 100 Most Influential People list have transformed one of the Senate's most centrist members into a symbol of resistance. A slot on Jimmy Kimmel followed, where he told the audience he was "not backing down."Kelly trails better-known potential 2028 contenders including Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom and Pete Buttigieg in early polling, rarely cracking the high single digits. Building a national profile this early also creates more opportunities for opponents to define him negatively.But for a party still searching for its post-Biden identity, the unintended consequences of Hegseth's feud have been hard to miss."Not a bad little boost," said Democratic strategist Jim Kessler of Third Way, "thanks to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth."
President Trump delivers remarks during a bilateral discussion with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani the Emir of Qatar. As previously noted, the G7 is no longer an assembly of the industrial nations. The G7 has morphed into a meeting of multiple nations unattached to the original intent. The primary discussion surrounded the current deal […]
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